February 22, 2024
At the February meeting, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $8,510,465 to support 13 projects through the Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Piedmont-Triad Prosperity Zone. These projects will support workforce preparedness, agriculture, job creation and economic investment in Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Surry, and Yadkin counties.
Each project focuses on an area where there is a need for workers with the skills identified.
Agriculture
Alamance Community College was awarded $1,000,000 for the construction of a barn to support the development of a Veterinary Medical Technician program that will help address a critical workforce need among the rural and agriculture-based communities in and surrounding Alamance County.
Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)
Davidson-Davie Community College was awarded $725,235 for equipment to expand the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program to help meet needs of local police departments in the region that have nearly 250 vacancies, with starting salaries around $55,000. The project anticipates increasing participants trained in law enforcement by 86.
Career and Technical Education Pathways
Davie County Schools was awarded $1,500,000 for the construction and engineering/design costs to expand the Davie County Schools Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advanced Manufacturing Program to meet demand. Area companies lack sufficient skilled employees in automation, skilled maintenance, electrical and mechanical engineering, and machining that these courses can address.
Rockingham Community College was awarded $800,000 for personnel, equipment/supplies, instructional technology, and participant support by increasing students’ exposure to careers and expanding career and technical education pathways that lead to industry-recognized credentials. In partnership with Rockingham County Schools and Rockingham County Economic Development, the initiative will develop a pipeline to address workforce needs in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and construction.
Collaboration with Local Businesses
Surry County Schools was awarded $603,230 for personnel, equipment, supplies, furniture, renovations, student support, and technology and software costs to implement a program to engage youth who are at risk of dropping out of high school by placing them in education and workplace readiness initiatives designed to lead to employment in rural Surry and Yadkin counties.
Yadkin County Schools received $393,000 for a project coordinator, equipment, instructional technology, participant support, and marketing and outreach to support an initiative in partnership with Surry Community College and local businesses that focuses on connecting the most at-risk students with local employers via hands-on learning that leads to industry-recognized credentials and developing participants’ soft skills.
Construction Trades
Guilford Technical Community College was awarded $310,000 for full-time instructors, equipment, supplies, and outreach and marketing materials to support the expansion of its short-term construction training programs, including a construction bootcamp. This project expects to result in 45 additional completers and an additional 30 students earning third-party credentials by the end of the first year.
Healthcare Workforce
Forsyth Technical Community College in Forsyth County was awarded $309,000 for equipment/supplies, construction, and technology hardware/software to convert two classrooms into emergency service simulation labs. The labs for this workforce preparedness project will support the expansion of emergency medical services programs. This project addresses openings for paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) at hospitals and private practices, in addition to those in traditional environments.
To learn more about Golden LEAF’s Community Based-Grants Initiative, visit https://goldenleaf.org/community-based-grants-initiative/.