Daily Archives: January 28, 2021

Consortium of Triad community colleges led by Forsyth Tech to receive $5 million grant

A consortium of Triad community colleges led by Forsyth Technical has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

That grant is aimed at supporting community colleges in advancing career pathways in manufacturing to meet employers’ demand for more skilled workers.

Forsyth Tech will lead the “Aligning the Workforce Education System for Manufacturing” project, a consortium of eight community colleges across the Triad.

The other community colleges are:

  • Alamance Community College
  • Davidson-Davie Community College
  • Guilford Technical Community College
  • Montgomery Community College
  • Randolph Community College
  • Rockingham Community College
  • Surry Community College

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Forsyth Tech and our partner community colleges to build a clearer education workforce development system, ultimately making North Carolina more prosperous,” said Janet Spriggs, Forsyth Tech president.

“The ultimate outcome will ensure coordination between workers’ skills and employers’ expectations, resulting in an increased number of adults with well-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing.”

The foundational activity of these eight institutions will create a Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT), which will give regional employers a co-leadership role for technical programs in machining and mechatronics.

$5 million grant goes to Forsyth Tech. The college will lead a regional effort to improve training for manufacturing jobs.

Forsyth Tech will use a new $5 million federal grant to lead a regional effort aimed at improving educational programs that lead to manufacturing jobs.

The Winston-Salem community college is the only North Carolina institution — and one of just 11 nationally — to receive this U.S. Department of Labor grant.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Forsyth Tech and our partner community colleges to build a clearer education-workforce development system, ultimately making North Carolina more prosperous,” Forsyth Tech President Janet Spriggs said in a news release put out by the college.

Forsyth Tech will work with seven other area community colleges in a 12-county region to produce more and better-trained workers for the advanced manufacturing sector.

The consortium plans to revise existing classes and training programs and start new ones in several advanced manufacturing areas, including machining, mechatronics, welding and industrial maintenance. Some new programs could start as early as this fall, while some others are slated to launch in 2022.