Expanding Instruction in High-Demand Trades
Stanly Community College is expanding its plumbing and electrical programs to address the region’s labor shortage in high-demand jobs.
Building Career Pathways Through Apprenticeships
Columbus County leaders have worked to create new opportunities that prepare students for in-demand careers and connect employers with the skilled workers they need. At Southeastern Community College, an apprenticeship program built in partnership with local school systems and employers is helping create those connections.
Golden LEAF Critical Conversations – Earn While You Learn: Apprenticeships Build North Carolina’s Workforce Pipeline
Apprenticeships are helping North Carolina employers build the skilled workforce they need while giving students an opportunity to earn a paycheck, gain hands-on experience, and prepare for high-demand careers.
Middle school career labs support workforce pipeline for high-demand careers
Two middle schools in Wilson County are helping students think about their futures long before they reach high school through the College and Career Exploration Labs at Darden and Speight Middle Schools.
The labs were designed to give middle school students hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world careers. Students explore a variety of high-demand fields through interactive modules focused on Biomedical Engineering, Manufacturing Technologies, Electricity and Electronics, Structural Engineering, Health Science Careers, Computer Drafting and Design, Environment and Ecology, and other career pathways tied to workforce preparedness.
Bolstering North Carolina’s healthcare workforce pipeline
Across North Carolina, healthcare providers are facing critical staffing shortages. In 2025 the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded eight community colleges more than $4.1 million total to expand healthcare training capacity and prepare students for in-demand careers to help address these challenges. Funds were used to support expanding training capacity, modernizing facilities, strengthening career pathways, and connecting students directly to high-demand careers.
Programs Perspective: The Challenge of Recruiting Career and Technical Educators
North Carolina’s community colleges are using creative strategies to recruit career and technical instructional roles. Golden LEAF Programs staff see firsthand these real challenges in the workforce preparedness projects they manage. Whether the Golden LEAF funds awarded support a new advanced manufacturing lab, a nursing expansion, or a skilled trades facility, one reality consistently surfaces: buildings and equipment are only part of the equation. Qualified instructors are often the critical ingredient.
Covered riding arena at Isothermal Community College supports booming Agribusiness and Equine workforce
In Rutherford and Polk counties, Isothermal Community College’s new covered riding arena is expanding the hands-on training opportunities that connect students to high-demand careers in agribusiness, equine services, and mental health services.
Golden LEAF Critical Conversations Podcast – More Than a Scholarship: Golden LEAF Scholarship Pathway From Classroom to Career
What happens when opportunity meets rural community pride? In this episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations, host Scott T. Hamilton talks with a current Golden LEAF Scholar, a Scholar Alumna, and an internship site host to show exactly how the Golden LEAF Scholarship and Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative change lives and shapes communities across North Carolina.
Building a skilled workforce from the ground up in Madison County
Madison County High School’s Construction Trades Program is delivering measurable results for students and employers by combining hands-on learning with direct workforce connections in high-demand skilled trades.
Golden LEAF Critical Conversations is now a Podcast: First episode on the 2025 Economic Overview and 2026 Economic Outlook is live
Golden LEAF Critical Conversations has officially moved to a podcast format and is now available for download on Spotify, making it easier than ever to listen on your schedule.
Hosted by Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF Critical Conversations features conversations with professionals about the most pressing economic development issues shaping communities across North Carolina.