The U.S. Education Department on Friday approved six Workforce Pell Grant programs at Forsyth Technical Community College in North Carolina, the most programs at a college to date.
The approved short-term programs are: emergency medical technician, firefighter I, certified nursing assistant programs I and II, welding and electrical lineworker.
“These grants will help train the next generation of nurses, electricians, welders and emergency responders in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Gov Josh Stein. “Investing in stellar community colleges like Forsyth Tech strengthens our state’s workforce pipeline, supports employers in high-demand fields, and expands access to high-skill, high-wage jobs. I’m grateful for the federal government’s support in uplifting our state’s most valuable resource – our people.”
For many students, the fastest path to a good-paying job is a short-term credential, but the cost has too often stood in the way, said Forsyth Tech President Janet Spriggs.
“Workforce Pell removes that barrier. Being first in North Carolina, and leading the nation in approved programs, reflects years of work by our faculty and staff to build programs around what employers in our region actually need,” she said in a release.
North Carolina joins Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska and Texas as the states with ED-approved programs to date. Six community colleges are among those states, including two in Texas approved earlier this week. The federal government opened the Workforce Pell program on July 1.
