The funding will expand summer academies and career pathways for students in eastern North Carolina and across the state.
The Siemens Foundation celebrates Careers Electric, in partnership with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), being selected as part of BlackRock Future Builders first national request for proposals. Only 15 workforce initiatives were selected to the inaugural cohort from more than 1,000 applications across the country, with NCBCE being awarded a prestigious grant for more than $999,000. The BlackRock Future Builders grant will allow NCBCE to expand the successful Careers Electric Summer Academy model into eastern North Carolina, where electrical workforce demands and training capacity needs are especially acute. The grant will also enable NCBCE to expand Summer Academy pathways to students across North Carolina through systems-level career pathways work.
The Careers Electric Summer Academies are designed to remove barriers to participation while providing students with a comprehensive introduction to electrical careers. Community colleges and high schools across the state host summer academies where students gain hands-on technical instruction, industry-recognized credentials, college credit opportunities, and work-based learning experiences while being paid and registered as pre-apprentices. NCBCE has been an integral delivery partner supporting the Careers Electric Coalition’s goal to develop 25,000 skilled U.S. electrical workers in its first ten years.
As electrification accelerates, the need for skilled electrical workers continues to grow. Careers Electric is a national initiative that equips students and workers with the skills required in today’s rapidly evolving energy, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors. Careers Electric Coalition members include major industry employers, national trade associations, workforce development organizations, labor and philanthropic partners. Careers Electric grantee partners include NCBCE, Wake Tech Community College, NC Community College System (NCCCS), NC Community College Foundation (NCCCF), and Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) Initially launched in North Carolina, the coalition is committed to supporting and scaling a workforce training model that is already delivering results for employers and workers.
For more information, visit CareersElectric.com.
