In February 2021, the Golden LEAF Foundation Board adopted a long-term strategic plan to serve as a roadmap for the next few years. The mission of Golden LEAF is to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, economically-distressed, and tobacco-dependent communities. During the strategic planning process, Golden LEAF fine-tuned its priority areas and created goals for each area.
Golden LEAF’s five strategic priority areas are:
- Job Creation and Economic Investment
- Workforce Preparedness
- Agriculture
- Community Competitiveness, Capacity, and Vitality
- Organizational Excellence
Golden LEAF seeks to improve workforce preparedness in communities by increasing the number of qualified individuals with skills aligned with current and future needs of local business and industry. We fund projects that demonstrate a market demand for skilled workers and aim at developing skill sets required by businesses looking to locate or expand in rural communities. Golden LEAF invests in projects that prepare students with the technical and life skills necessary to enter work.
Some of the ways Golden LEAF measures the success of a workforce preparedness program is through tracking the number of students who complete courses, earn third party credentials, and participate in work-based learning. Other outcomes of workforce preparedness projects include students employed, incumbent workers trained, and employer satisfaction with trained students.
Learn about some of the workforce preparedness projects support by Golden LEAF in Alamance, Cumberland, Henderson, Currituck, and Martin counties below:
Alamance Community College Advanced Manufacturing
Alamance County purchased equipment for their mechatronics and computer-integrated machining programs to help fill a need for more than 400 open positions in the area.
Fayetteville State University Nursing Program
Fayetteville State University purchased additional software and simulated training equipment to enhance training and capacity for students within the School of Nursing to help meet the need for nurses in the region.
Blue Ridge Community College SAMTEC Building
Blue Ridge Community College purchased a high-pressure die casting cell to train potential and incumbent workers for GF Linamar and employees of other companies in the region.
College of the Albemarle Machining Program
The College of the Albemarle purchased new machining equipment for use in its Computer Integrated Machining and Computer Aided Drafting programs to meet the needs of several area companies.
Martin Community College Lineman Program
Martin Community College purchased training gear and other equipment to start the Apprentice Line Technician Academy to help fill a need for up to 450 linemen in northeastern North Carolina over the next five years.