South Raleigh News

Governor Roy Cooper marked advancements in workforce development during his tenure at an event held at Durham Technical Community College. He was joined by J.B. Buxton, President of Durham Tech Community College; Wendy Walker-Fox, Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board; and Laura Harris, a student and Finish Line Grant recipient.

This event is part of a series celebrating Governor Cooper's achievements in areas such as health care, public education, clean energy economy, and overall economic growth.

“North Carolina’s community colleges are our not-so-secret weapon when it comes to building a strong workforce and economy,” said Governor Cooper. “We’re working to make higher education more accessible so students can get the skills they need to succeed to take on the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Durham Tech's President J.B. Buxton emphasized the importance of the Finish Line grant program: “The Finish Line grant has benefited our students and community by ensuring students facing financial barriers to completing their education have a resource available so they can enter the workforce or continue to a four-year institution without interruption to their studies.”

Wendy Walker-Fox expressed appreciation for the collaboration between workforce boards and community colleges: “With workforce development being a central focus The Executive Director’s Council of the NC Association of Workforce Development Boards is proud to have partnered on the Finish Line Grant initiative, which was not only integral in ensuring more people received the training that they needed, but also highlighted the existing strong collaboration between workforce development boards and community colleges.”

Laura Harris shared her personal experience with the grants: “At Durham Tech Community College, the Finish Line Grant was more than just financial support for me. It was a crucial resource that allowed me to overcome unexpected challenges and continue without delay on my academic path to success.”

The Governor's efforts since taking office have aimed at making North Carolina residents better educated and healthier while enhancing economic opportunities. The launch of programs like Finish Line Grants in 2018 has been pivotal in supporting over 16,000 community college students facing financial emergencies.

Additionally, Governor Cooper introduced initiatives such as Longleaf Commitment and Workforce Resilience Grants to ensure access to higher education for low- and middle-income families. Over 27,400 students benefited from these programs aimed at covering tuition costs.

Governor Cooper also allocated federal funding towards creating Workforce Resilience Grants for high-demand training programs leading to recognized credentials across various industries.

Under his leadership, North Carolina gained recognition as America's Top State for Business by CNBC in 2022 and 2023 due to significant job creation across sectors like advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

Since 2017, North Carolina has seen an addition of over 640,000 jobs along with substantial investments from companies like Toyota, Apple, FUJIFILM Diosynth, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Wolfspeed, Boom Supersonic, Natron Energy, Boviet Solar among others.

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