Governor Stein Highlights Summer Apprenticeship Academies Preparing More Than 500 High School Students for High-Demand Careers

Today Governor Josh Stein announced that more than 500 high school students completed summer pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship academies this year through the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) in programs focused on electrical trades, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, biotechnology, and health care. The academies build on the growth of NC Career Launch, NCBCE’s statewide youth apprenticeship initiative, which is funded by a grant from the US Department of Labor and has now supported 1,067 students who have completed youth apprenticeship in 48 counties in partnership with more than 165 employers in communities across the state since 2024. 

“These apprenticeships give North Carolina’s high school students the chance to learn hands-on and earn a paycheck as they explore career pathways in high-demand industries,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This milestone is only the beginning as we continue opening doors of opportunity for North Carolina’s future leaders.” 

“For more than 40 years, NCBCE has brought North Carolina's employers and education leaders together to put career-connected learning to work, and summer academies are where that partnership becomes concrete," said NCBCE Chair Julia Wright. "In a matter of weeks, students earn college credit and credentials, employers meet their future workforce, and communities can thrive in the future." 

Careers Electric Summer Academies 

NCBCE's newest initiative, Careers Electric, is building early pathways into North Carolina's growing electrical and energy workforce. Today the BlackRock Foundation announced that it has selected Careers Electric™ Summer Academies for its BlackRock Future Builders Inaugural Cohort—one of 15 workforce initiatives selected from more than 1,000 applications across the country. 

Led by NCBCE with support from the Siemens Foundation and K–12, community college, and industry partners, Careers Electric Summer Electrical Academies launched in 12 communities this summer. In the inaugural year, 220 high school students completed intensive electrical pre-apprenticeship experiences combining community college coursework, industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning, and direct engagement with employers. There were programs at Blue Ridge, Central Carolina, Central Piedmont, Cleveland, Forsyth Tech, Isothermal, Pitt, Rockingham, Surry, Vance-Granville, Wake Tech, and Wayne community colleges.  

The BlackRock Foundation has selected Careers Electric™ Summer Academies for its BlackRock Future Builders Inaugural Cohort—one of 15 workforce initiatives selected from more than 1,000 applications across the country. The BlackRock Foundation's $1M Future Builders grant will allow the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (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 opportunities to more students across North Carolina through systems-level career pathways work. Governor Stein celebrated Careers Electric™ Summer Academies in July at Cleveland Community College, where he met with high school students enrolled in one of 12 academies as part of the Siemens Foundation's landmark investment in electrical workforce development. 

NCBCE and its partners plan to expand the number of sites in 2027. 

Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED) 

Created by NCBCE and funded through a grant from the Smithfield Foundation, the SEED program completed its third year of summer academies. Sixty-four students in the Advanced Manufacturing and Agriculture academies completed multiple college courses while participating in work-based learning at James Sprunt, Lenoir, Sampson, Wayne, and Wilson community colleges. 

Students practiced skills in machining labs and on-site work-based learning at local farms and agribusinesses, visited companies across southeastern North Carolina, and networked with local employers to build professional skills. 

BioWork Pre-Apprenticeship for Students on the Autism Spectrum 

NCBCE's NC Career Launch initiative partnered with Johnston Community College and Durham Technical Community College to host a BioWork pre-apprenticeship for rising seniors and recent graduates on the autism spectrum. Thirteen students completed the 140-hour BioWork certificate course, which teaches the foundational skills needed to begin a career in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical manufacturing. Students also built employability skills with support from the University of North Carolina's TEACCH Autism Program. Graduates can continue into a registered apprenticeship or pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree. 

NC Career Launch Summer Youth Apprenticeship Programs 

NC Career Launch funding also supported summer youth apprenticeship programs in seven additional counties — Burke, Carteret, Columbus, Forsyth, Haywood, Surry, Wake, and Wayne — where more than 200 students completed locally designed programs in pathways including construction, information technology, and health care, working alongside employer partners. 

Health Care Apprenticeship Pathways 

NCBCE is leading efforts to develop and scale health care pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways to address critical workforce shortages. In collaboration with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and employer partners, NCBCE works with health systems and educational institutions to use apprenticeship to recruit, train, and retain nursing talent beginning in high school. In the past year, more than 400 individuals completed a nursing pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship, and nearly 20 new nursing pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs were added. 

STEP-NC: First Health Care Apprenticeship in State Government 

In July, Governor Stein and NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai announced Skills, Training, and Employment Pathways, or STEP-NC, the first health care apprenticeship program within state government registered by NCBCE. NCBCE serves as the group sponsor, providing the administrative structure, documentation support, and compliance oversight so that participating employers can focus on recruiting, training, and mentoring their workforce. 

As part of STEP-NC, Broughton Hospital and J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, both facilities of the NC Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities, hosted six recent Burke County high school graduates, who completed pre-apprenticeships in behavioral health and maintenance technician pathways. Students received hands-on training and rotated through departments and medical units as they explored careers in health care. Four of the six plan to remain in Burke County and move into registered apprenticeships. 

Transformation Villages, a Buncombe County residential facility supporting mothers and families affected by domestic violence, hosted seven high school students from Buncombe County who completed a six-week summer pre-apprenticeship as social services assistants, combining classroom instruction with hands-on training in the work of a social services professional. 

Supporting North Carolina Workers 

Governor Stein has supported apprenticeship models that create more pathways to high-demand careers. In February, the Governor directed his discretionary Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding toward NC Career Launch, an NCBCE program helping businesses build high-quality youth apprenticeship programs in high-demand sectors. The Governor's Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships has set a goal of doubling apprenticeships statewide, and Site Selection Magazine ranked North Carolina the 2026 Top State for Workforce Development. 

In July, Governor Stein signed North Carolina’s first full state budget in more than two years, and the budget invests in workforce development and the community college system, including $57.7 million for Propel NC and $3.1 million to support ApprenticeshipNC. 

Click here to learn more about the North Carolina Business Committee for Education. 

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