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Helping graduates land a job

This Charlotte community college is preparing Black and Latino students for a booming local employment market

At Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), one of the largest community colleges in the Carolinas, curriculums are being designed with the local job market in mind. The school is located in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, where demand for highly skilled workers remains strong. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the area added more than 11,000 jobs, with growth in sectors such as trade, transportation and healthcare outpacing the national economy.footnote1

This climate has provided CPCC with an opportunity to deliver on its commitment to equity by expanding Black and Hispanic-Latino access to post-graduate careers, while also providing a steady supply of qualified workers for local employers to draw from — a goal that contributes some $920 million annually to the Mecklenburg County economy.

Through its four-year Bridge-to-Careers program, eligible Black and Hispanic-Latino students receive guidance and support services, along with training for specific jobs in the highest growth sectors of the local economy. Jobs in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area are highly concentrated in information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, transportation and construction, according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

To support these students and to expand their opportunities, Bank of America is providing a $1 million grant to CPCC, part of the bank’s $25 million commitment to enhance job skills for Black and Hispanic-Latino students. At CPCC the funds will be used for scholarships to match PELL grants, which go to students demonstrating a financial need for tuition assistance.

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Growth Report, 2021 Quarter 4

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2/23/2022

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