Juniors and seniors in high school in North Carolina are getting an early start on their college education and careers through paid apprenticeships connected to a community college.
“Like almost every community college in this country, our mission starts with access and leads into success. One of the biggest barriers to access and success is financial, so apprenticeships are paid at the RCC,” explains Shah Ardalan, Ed.D., president and CEO at Randolph Community College (RCC) in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Ardalan joined me for an interview for WorkingNation Overheard at College Board Forum 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Starting as early as their junior year in high school, and over three years, the students essentially have a job as they go to college. “Once they start at that level, the State of North Carolina waives their tuition and fees and the companies are paying them. By the time they finish, this is a 20-year-old or 21-year-old individual making over $42,000 a year.”
Randolph Community College offers the student-apprentice a lot of individual support. “Here, they have a mentor, a specific mentor assigned by the college, and they have one in industry,” says Ardalan. “They’re going to be coached throughout the three years – how to adapt to the culture of the college, to that industry and also how to be successful.
“The majority of them get a job offer to work at the same company because they had three years of checking each other out.”
He says the demand for trained workers is huge in advanced manufacturing and health care sectors, both of which have large presences in the area. “Toyota is investing $14 billion and is 30 minutes away from my college. There are investments of three companies of $30 billion. They’re going to be hiring over 10,000 individuals.”
Learn more about Randolph Community College.
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