Building on being named the best state for business, economic development, and workforce development, North Carolina is allocating funds to a state program that will connect high school students with career opportunities through pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships.
Gov. Josh Stein announced on Tuesday that funds from the US Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will be dedicated to NC Career Launch (NCCL), which will be used to grow youth apprenticeships across the state in a variety of industries and provide financial support for both employers and students, with a special focus on supporting youth apprenticeships in western North Carolina.
“Apprenticeships are one of the best ways to support students, businesses, and communities across the state,” he said during a Tuesday press conference. “Eleventh and 12th graders have important decisions to make about their futures. It’s our job to provide them with real options, options that offer meaningful career paths right in their home communities.”
One of those young people is Dylan Clark, an apprentice at Machine Specialties, Inc. (MSI), which is in Whitsett in Guilford County. He started his apprenticeship through Guilford County schools. Last month, the governor met Clark, who told him that his dream was to own his own car and home. He said that thanks to his career path in advanced manufacturing, he has already purchased both.
“The promise of North Carolina is simple: that if you work hard, where you come from should never limit how far you can go,” Stein, a Democrat, said.
Industries in the program include automobiles, culinary arts, manufacturing, aerospace, child care, and health care, among others. Students can learn a skill for free while earning a paycheck as they launch their future careers.
The governor said the Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships has set a goal to double the number of apprenticeships within the next three years, and is grateful to public schools, community colleges, apprenticeship NC Workforce Development Boards, and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education for partnering with the state.
In addition, he said, employers are critical to the success of the program, highlighting CaroMont Health, in Gastonia, Gaston County. The hospital system has significantly reduced its dependence on traveling nurses, which can be costly, through the apprenticeship program and, as a result, has a retention rate of up to 34% higher than traditional recruitment models.
CaroMont Health launched its first CNA apprenticeship program in 2019.
“We looked internally and recognized that we had employees who had the motivation to go back to school,” said Janice Hill, director of the Workforce Transition Program, who has also been a nurse for 40 years. “We recognized that we had employees who could academically be very successful, but they were without financial or environmental support, and that’s where we stepped in with the hand up, not to be confused with the handout. The CNA1 program was developed, and that first class was made up entirely of housekeepers and people who delivered our food trays. Some of these individuals have gone on to become nurses.”
She said the hospital system now has 11 program cohorts across two community colleges, all focused on the critical needs currently ongoing for CaroMont Health. They have expanded to include seven health care disciplines and work with Gaston College and the Gaston County School System to develop their pre-apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors
Four high school graduates were hired in 2025 after completing their pre-apprenticeship program and are now working as CNAs in their positions at CaroMont and are currently working on prerequisites towards their chosen career path. Upon graduation, CaroMont plans to offer scholarships to help students complete their BSN program of choice.
Currently, there are 11 juniors and 11 seniors in the program.
New dashboard promises accountability and transparency
Also, during Tuesday’s press conference, Stein mentioned a new dashboard, 100strong.nc.gov, that North Carolinians can check on to see how each county and the state as a whole is doing, including in terms of investment in communities, new jobs that have been announced, and how much medical debt has been relieved.
“As leaders, we owe transparency on the progress we’re making, so I encourage everyone to check out the dashboard and then hold us accountable for delivering for your community,” Stein said.
The dashboard will be updated on a periodic basis.