This grant funded Pitt Community College (PCC) to expand its Pitt Technical Academy to add Electrical and Industrial Systems CTE programs to the existing HVAC and Computer Integrated Machining CTE programs. This expansion was in direct response to local employer needs to fill over 600 openings over the next five years. Students were transported from their home high schools to the college for the first half of each school day to receive CTE training, and back to high school during the second half of the day for general coursework. The program also connected participants to local apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities. Completers finished high school with one year of community college credit, significantly reducing the time required to complete their associate degree. With the expansion, the program recruited from six high schools and served 100 students. Golden LEAF funds supported a project coordinator who recruited students and managed all aspects of the program. Funding generated by student enrollment allowed PCC to sustain the position and Pitt County Schools paid for student transportation.
