Building Futures Project
CAMAT & TTTC
Contributions Received since March 1, 2026
Building Futures
Empowering Students. Strengthening Communities.
Building Futures is more than a building effort—it is a coordinated regional strategy to connect talent, industry, and opportunity.
By investing in both production and transportation workforce training, this plan positions the four-county region for long-term competitiveness and shared prosperity.
Project Summary
Building Futures: Empowering Students. Strengthening Communities. is a regional workforce development initiative designed to expand economic mobility, close opportunity gaps, and build a skilled talent pipeline across Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin Counties in North Carolina. Through a dual-center strategy—linking the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology (CAMAT) in Granville County with the Transportation Training & Technology Center in Soul City, Warren County—Building Futures creates a comprehensive, place-based workforce ecosystem that prepares students for high-demand, high-wage careers in advanced manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and skilled trades.
This project delivers industry-aligned training, regional economic development, and community-driven impact by connecting historically underserved rural communities with growing industrial and transportation sectors. CAMAT trains students to build, fabricate, innovate, and maintain advanced manufacturing systems, while the Transportation Training & Technology Center prepares students to transport, operate, and service the equipment and supply chains that move goods across the region. Together, these centers form a closed-loop workforce pipeline that strengthens employers, expands opportunity, and drives shared regional prosperity.
Building Futures directly addresses opportunity gaps, workforce shortages, and barriers to economic mobility by placing training where it is most needed—Soul City, one of North Carolina’s most historically underinvested communities—while aligning programs with the region’s strongest economic engines. Students gain industry-recognized credentials, hands-on training with state-of-the-art workforce labs, and access to sustainable, family-supporting careers without requiring a four-year degree.
The Purpose
This dual-center Fundraising Plan responds to a clear regional reality:
- Granville County’s industrial base offers higher-wage employment due to advanced manufacturing, logistics, and industrial employers.
- Warren County and surrounding rural communities, such as Vance County, experience persistent economic distress, limited access to training, and fewer high-wage job pathways.
CAMAT will be strategically located in Granville County, home to a growing industrial base offering some of the region’s strongest wage potential.
By intentionally locating the Transportation Training & Technology Center in Soul City, one of North Carolina’s most historically underserved communities, this Fundraising Plan directly connects communities of need with communities of opportunity.
This is place-based economic development with regional impact.
Fundraising Goal & Scope
Fundraising Plan Goal: $5 Million
Fundraising Plan Timeline: 10 Months
Service Area: Vance, Warren, Granville, Franklin Counties
This unified Fundraising Plan supports:
- Facility construction and site development
- Industry-grade training facilities
- State-of-the-art workforce labs
- Increased student access and credentialing
What will the CAMAT be?
Vance-Granville Community College is planning the design and construction of a 35,000 gross square footage Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Technology. This building will be a state-of-the-art training facility in Triangle North Granville County that will offer traditional certificate, diploma, and degree options, as well as relevant short-term training opportunities, for students seeking training in Electronics, Fabrication, HVAC, Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, and Welding programs.
The Center Will:
- Support industry training needs in advanced manufacturing and applied technologies
- Serve as an advanced manufacturing company recruitment tool
- Support collaborative high school and college career and technical education partnerships
Regional Impact
- Supports existing and emerging manufacturers
- Strengthens industry partnerships
- Expands high-skill labor pipelines and production capacity
What will the Transportation Center be?
Vance-Granville Community College is planning the design and construction of an 11,000 gross square foot facility for the Transportation Training & Technology Center. The Center will offer CDL (A & B), Heavy Equipment Operations, and Diesel & Heavy Equipment Mechanics. In addition, this facility will have Workstations, Instructional Space, Training Bays, Paved CDL Training Pad, Staff Offices, Storage Area, and Expansion Space.
The Center Will:
- Equip students with industry-recognized certifications and access to high-wage, high-demand careers
- Provide immediate access to hands-on learning with modern technologies
- Build sustainable, profitable career pathways that uplift families and drive economic mobility
- Create a steady, industry-ready talent pipeline for local companies
- Foster partnerships between education and industry for long-term sustainability
Regional Impact
- Located in an economically distressed community
- Creates direct access to living-wage careers
- Expands logistics and transportation workforce
By investing in Building Futures, funders support a transformation, community-rooted, multi-county economic development strategy that strengths local industries, revitalizes distressed communities, and expands equitable access to opportunity. This project represents a once-in-a-generation investment in regional workforce resilience, economic mobility, and long-term community prosperity.
By donating you would be supporting:
- Facility construction
- Industry-grade training facilities
- State-of-the-art workforce labs
- Increased student access and credentialing
Donation and Naming Opportunities
Naming Opportunity Benefits
Naming a lab, classroom, or facility after your company or an individual offers many benefits, such as:
- Recognition of Your Contribution – Your support and commitment to education, VGCC and students in the local community will be recognized in the community and within the institution.
- Inspiration for Others – Through your giving, you can inspire others to contribute, knowing their support could also lead to lasting recognition.
- Legacy Creation – Your support will help build a legacy influencing future generations in education, training and research.
- Enhanced Visibility – The use of your company or individual name can increase visibility for the lab, classroom or facility attracting attention and potential partnerships or collaborations.
- Strengthened Community Ties – Your involvement fosters connections between donors, researchers, and the community, promoting a culture of support for education and innovation.
- Motivation for Staff and Students – Having a named space can motivate staff and students to strive for excellence, knowing they are part of a facility that honors significant contributions and that recognizable names are a part of it.
- Potential for Increased Funding – A named space can serve as a model for future funding opportunities, encouraging more donations and investments in the institution.
- Promotion of Research and Innovation – A dedicated space can highlight the importance of research and innovation, encouraging more projects and initiatives within the facility, lab, or classroom. By lending your name in this way, not only is your generosity celebrated, but a culture of philanthropy and excellence in education is also promoted.
Minimum Dollar Amounts for Naming
Buildings
| Building Type | Minimum Donation |
|---|---|
| Major Buildings (existing) - >25,001 sq. ft | $1.0 million |
| Small Buildings (existing) - <=25,000 sq. ft. | $500,000 |
| New Buildings | 30% of cost or a minimum of $3.0 million |
Specific Large Rooms
| Room Type | Minimum Donation |
|---|---|
| Auditoriums/Theatres | $500,000 |
| Lobbies/Pre-function Areas | $50,000 |
| Learning Resource Centers/Libraries | $75,000 |
| Dining/Café Areas | $50,000 |
| Student Services Areas | $30,000 |
Other
| Opportunity Type | Minimum Donation |
|---|---|
| General Classrooms | $50,000 |
| Equipped Labs | 50% of cost |
| Programs of Study | $500,000 |
| Schools of Study | $1.0 million |
| Gardens/Courtyards/Plazas | $40,000 |
| Conference Rooms | $50,000 |
| Student Lounges | $50,000 |
As mandated by College Policy 824.00, these guidelines provide recommended minimum dollar amounts of gifts to qualify for consideration of naming opportunities. All final decisions on naming opportunities, unless otherwise provided for, are at the sole discretion of the Board of Trustees, as outlined in related policy.
How Do I Give?
Donations may be made by check, cash, or credit card. Checks should be made payable to The VGCC Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 917, Henderson, NC 27536. If you would like to pay by credit card, please click the button below.
“The need for this type of training in our area is great – North Carolina is the 5th largest manufacturing state in the U.S. and advanced automation is growing 6% faster in this area than in the rest of the country.” – David Bullock, VGCC Program Head of Mechatronics Engineering
Donor Frequently Asked Questions
What is Building Futures?
Building Futures is a regional fundraising plan to build two workforce training centers serving Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin Counties.
The plan expands career training capacity, supports regional employers, and creates pathways to sustainable, high-wage employment.
What facilities are being funded?
The fundraising plan supports two connected workforce training centers:
Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology (CAMAT)
Focus: Manufacturing, Welding, Fabrication, Mechatronics, HVAC, Electrical
Transportation Training & Technology Center
Focus: CDL (A&B), Heavy Equipment Operator, Diesel & Heavy Equipment Mechanics
Why build two centers instead of one?
Workforce needs span multiple industries.
These centers function as one economic engine:
- The Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology (CAMAT) in Granville County, where students are trained to build, fabricate, and innovate using industry-standard manufacturing technologies.
- The Transportation Training & Technology Center in Warren County, where students are prepared for in-demand careers in commercial driving, heavy equipment operation, diesel mechanics, and equipment maintenance–careers essential to regional commerce and mobility.
Together, these facilities represent a single regional workforce ecosystem–not two separate projects. What is created must be transported, maintained, and delivered. What moves the economy forward must be operated by a skilled, credentialed, workforce. Building Futures intentionally aligns these realities into one cohesive strategy.
