NC Carolina Community College System Launches Toolkit to Strengthen Rural Advanced Manufacturing
With advanced manufacturing driving economic growth across North Carolina, building a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent is more important than ever—especially in rural communities where new and expanding operations can transform local economies.
To support this critical need, the North Carolina Community College System has released a new Rural Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships Toolkit. The toolkit showcases innovative partnership models that are meeting the evolving workforce demands of the state’s advanced manufacturing sector, particularly in rural regions. Featured in the toolkit are JCC's Workforce Development Center and JOCO WORKS.
Developed through the Rural Postsecondary Practices Partnership (RP3)—a collaboration between the North Carolina Community College System, the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, EducationNC, and myFutureNC—the toolkit is designed to equip rural-serving colleges with practical strategies to expand training, strengthen employer partnerships, and meet regional labor demands.
“We know that strong partnerships are the key to unlocking workforce potential in rural areas,” said Dr. Zach Barricklow, Interim Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the System. “This toolkit highlights how North Carolina’s community colleges are not only meeting the needs of advanced manufacturing employers, but also driving economic resilience in the communities they serve.”
The resource includes real-world examples of how colleges are implementing solutions such as apprenticeship programs supported by ApprenticeshipNC, and customized training programs offered through NCEdge. These efforts are part of a larger push to align education and training with high-demand career pathways in advanced manufacturing.
The toolkit features dozens of successful collaborations with employers, K-12 schools, universities, military installations, government agencies, workforce boards, and community-based organizations. While partnership is a key strategy in any setting, it is especially vital in rural areas where resources are often limited. These collaborations help rural colleges maximize impact and extend opportunities across their communities.
This is RP3’s second toolkit. The first focused on rural healthcare partnerships and is available on the NCCCS website.
