HICKORY — Catawba Valley Community College said May 5, 2026, that it is one of 10 North Carolina community colleges selected to lead statewide expansion of the Careers Electric Training Network.
The program is supported by an investment from the Siemens Foundation and Careers Electric Coalition partners, the college said, to address electrical-skills gaps for energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure jobs. The expansion follows a pilot at Wake Technical Community College. Thirty-two of the state’s 58 community colleges applied.
“We are honored to be selected as a leader in the Careers Electric Training Network and to help strengthen North Carolina’s workforce,” President Garrett D. Hinshaw said. “This partnership allows us to expand access to opportunity for our students while playing a meaningful role in shaping the future workforce of our region.”
As a selected partner, CVCC will receive $250,000 in flexible, performance-based funding to modernize curriculum, enhance recruitment, and provide student support services. The initiative aims to prepare 25,000 North Carolinians over the next decade, the college said.
Ramie Robinson, department head for Construction Trades and Engineering Technologies, said: “This funding allows us to enhance our training environments, expand hands-on learning opportunities, and better equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the electrical workforce from day one.”
David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation, called the 10-college selection a pivotal moment in expanding access to electrical training and said North Carolina had proven an ideal setting to pilot a national model.
Randy Burns, senior executive director for CVCC Campus Centers, said: “Being selected as one of only 10 community colleges for the Careers Electric grant is a significant honor. More importantly, it represents meaningful, life-changing opportunities for the students we serve in both Catawba and Alexander Counties.”
Partners named include the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, the NC Community College Foundation, Wake Tech, EVITP, and the Families and Workers Fund.
The May 5 notice does not list a local match or a start date for new course sections.
Official release from Catawba Valley Community College, May 5, 2026. https://cvcc.edu/cvcc-selected-for-statewide-careers-electric-training-network/
