March 6, 2024

R-CCC receives grant award to increase job training for welding.

(AHOSKIE) Roanoke-Chowan Community College has received a grant through the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to expand the short-term job training program, ‘Weld to Work’ –a six- week certification course.  The grant will provide scholarships for 100 eligible students.
“We are excited to announce the expansion of our innovative ‘Weld to Work’ short-term training program,” states Dr. Murray J. Williams, President of R-CCC. “We appreciate the support of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to help us meet the workforce needs in our area and look forward to preparing students with industry-recognized credentials and certificates for productive careers.”
The grant funding will provide building improvements to the Universal Technical Training Center located on the R-CCC main campus.  Equipment including six new welding booths, a full time ‘Weld to Work’ instructor, supplies and materials, and scholarships for up to 100 welding students are included in the $282,415 total amount of grant funding.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC) is a unit of local government and regional leaders of workforce development that ensures strategic alignment of efforts leading to meaningful employment and economic growth in the region.  Northeastern North Carolina is included in their service area of 1.9 million residents and 1.2 million jobs.
“There is a huge demand for skilled welders in our area especially at Newport News Shipbuilding and other Hampton Roads regional maritime employers,” explains Stephanie Benson, Executive Vice President of Workforce Development, and Institutional Effectiveness at R-CCC.  “This grant will allow us to increase enrollment in ‘Weld to Work’ and train up to 100 more students annually.”
“Many of our graduates in welding are recruited by local employers in the steel manufacturing business sector and other employers in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia,” states EVP Benson.    


The grant funds are made available under the Regional Maritime Training System Tier 1 funding awarded to the HRWC by the BlueForge Alliance.  R-CCC serves Hertford, Bertie, and Northampton counties, that include an underserved population with higher rates of poverty. 
The funds are intended to address employment needs and disparities and move graduates into high-skill and higher wage jobs. Average hourly wages for skilled welders range from entry level $17 -26/hour to $35 an hour for pipeline welders (top earners) in NC and Virginia.     
Weld to Work classes at R-CCC begin March 25th and are six weeks in length.  To register, contact Tishadda G. Walton, Continuing Education Coordinator/Registrar, at (252) 862-1309. 
For more information about degree, diploma, certificate, or continuing education programs call Roanoke-Chowan Community College at 862-1200 or visit the website at www.roanokechowan.edu.   Roanoke-Chowan Community College – “Where Community and Careers Connect’” #DiscoverRCCC