NC apprenticeship programs get $4 million boost from U.S. Department of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor is providing $4 million to North Carolina's community college system. 

The federal funding for North Carolina is part of a $121 million package to expand and modernize apprenticeship programs across the country. 

There are almost 300 people enrolled in the apprenticeship program at Guilford Technical Community College, says Beth Pitonzo, the senior vice president for instruction. She says they are helping fill the job needs for area businesses, and she's hoping more companies will take part.

"There's been talk for at least five or six years, both at the federal level and the state level, that, if we don't do something, pretty soon we're gonna lose our competitive edge with all these companies being able to produce and manufacture and do all the things that they do," she says.

The five-year apprenticeship program allows students to work while earning certification in their field. Pitonzo says jobs vary but manufacturing has been a big driver of the program. 

Durable goods manufacturers are among the hardest hit by the national labor shortage in terms of the number of unfilled job openings, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.