This grant provided funding to Catawba Valley Community College Foundation for the “K-64 Connecting Business to Talent” project, which aimed to expand access to programs that introduced local students to real-world jobs in Catawba County. Through K-64, local businesses engaged across the education continuum to mentor students, participate in career fairs/days, help fund soft skills development curriculum, sponsor individual computer devices for every K-12 public school student, assist in developing courses, and provide work-based learning opportunities that aligned with workforce needs. K-64 leveraged tax dollars, grants, corporate sponsorships, and private contributions to support program expansion and sustainability. Catawba County Commissioners committed $1.3 million annually for the first five years to help launch and sustain K-64 during the initial development phase. K-64 anticipated increasing student participation annually by enrolling a minimum of 40 high school students in CVCC’s WBL-120 course, which focused on soft skills development and included 32 hours of business contact. Golden LEAF funds were used for salaries and benefits for business liaisons to support this course.
