Vance-Granville Community College receives $194,160 grant from Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas to connect students with apprenticeship opportunities
From Left to Right Kenneth Wilson, Tanya Evans ( district manager, Duke Energy), VGCC President Rachel Desmarais, Ken Lewis, Eddie Ferguson.
Vance-Granville Community College today announced a $194,160 investment from Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas. The funds will help connect students with hands-on training and career development opportunities.
The investment will be used to expand apprenticeships in the fields of Mechatronics, Industrial Maintenance and Welding, as part of VGCC’s “Business & Industry Connect” program. The college will be able to purchase new equipment, provide tuition supports for students and implement additional training, including the nationally-known “Tooling U-SME” program.
“This grant represents a huge boost to our local industry partners and to students who are looking to energize their careers,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “We appreciate the continuing support of Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas, because apprenticeships are part of VGCC’s multi-pronged approach to addressing workforce shortages so that our economy can grow.”
“We are proud to partner with Vance-Granville Community College to connect students with apprenticeship and workforce training opportunities,” said Tanya Evans, district manager, Duke Energy. “These students will help meet the growing and evolving needs of the region’s manufacturing industry.”
This grant is part of Duke Energy’s $35 million investment in North Carolina’s Community Colleges’ focus on technical education and support of business and industry. Individual community colleges could apply for funds through the North Carolina Community Foundation and the Foundation for the Carolinas. Applications were reviewed by a committee of representatives from Duke Energy, NC Community College System and NC Department of Commerce.
Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College, one of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System, is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, north of the Research Triangle. Established in 1969, VGCC today serves students at four campuses (one in each county of the service area) and online. The college offers more than 40 curriculum programs, as well as occupational certifications, continuing education, adult education, customized training for employers and the first two years of a four-year degree. For more information, visit www.vgcc.edu .
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Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its non regulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit’s regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2019 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list, and Forbes’ 2019 “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com . The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook .
