Education in Asheville: Powering the Workforce

The universities, colleges and schools in the region are preparing students for the high-demand jobs of tomorrow.

By Teree Caruthers on August 10, 2023

Don Perkins

Students are in excellent hands when it comes to the options for education in Asheville. To keep a pipeline of talent flowing to growing industries, the Asheville region’s colleges, universities and schools partner with employers to offer students and graduates hands-on and work-based learning opportunities that set them up for success.

Asheville-Buncombe Tech

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) works with local industry to ensure students are learning the skills those businesses need.

Debbie Cromwell, director of work-based learning and apprenticeships for A-B Tech, says career preparation for students begins with preparation of each of the college’s programs.

“Most of our skilled trades programs, as well as others, offer a work-based learning course for credit,” Cromwell says. “We also tour facilities, and we provide on-campus tours and opportunities for employers to speak directly with our instructors and see our labs and equipment. We also listen to the student once they have engaged in an on-site setting, like an apprenticeship or internship.”

Recently, the college launched a hands-on manufacturing training program taught in Spanish and in conjunction with contextualized ESL support. 

“This class prepares students for high-demand jobs that involve solving problems and working with the hands and mind while building products,” Cromwell says.

Students learn to safely operate machines and make parts to specifications. They can also earn a national certification from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. At the end of the program, employers are invited to speak with the class and share opportunities that might be available to them, including apprenticeships.

In addition to apprenticeships and internships, A-B Tech offers customized training programs for companies needing to expand their workforce. For example, when aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney built a world-class advanced casting foundry and airfoil production facility in the region, the company joined forces with A-B Tech to offer free, fast-track training for Pratt & Whitney jobs.

Employing non-degree programs and using three courses Pratt & Whitney endorsed – machine fundamentals, CNC 101 and certified production technician – helped build a pipeline of skilled workers.

“Folks can apply and go through a pre-hire assessment and training at A-B Tech, and if they complete that, then they’re guaranteed an interview,” says Kevin Kimrey, A-B Tech’s director of economic and workforce development. “The program has been wonderful. Any time we can get folks either into training or into a job, that’s a win-win situation. The community benefits; the trainees benefit; and the company benefits.”

Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University (WCU) also partners with local industry to offer students real-world training and boost the workforce in high-demand areas, such as nursing. Mission Hospital in Asheville donates beds for nursing simulation labs, allocates funding to support more nursing faculty and student scholarships, and gives students access to clinical rotations.

“We are the largest higher education institution in Western North Carolina and the principal provider of graduate education. We’ve got five doctoral and 10 masters programs, but we also have two undergraduate professional programs — an accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology,” says Kevan Frazier, executive director of Western Carolina University programs. “We also provide a significant number of continuing education and professional development programs at our WCU at Biltmore Park facility.”

With the high demand in nursing, Frazier says a major benefit of the partnership with Mission Health is the ability to increase the number of students admitted to the program.

“In programs like nursing, there are national standards about how many students can be with each faculty member. When we want to grow the number of seats available, we have to add faculty. Mission’s contributions help us do that,” he says.

“The partnership also helps ensure our students are learning on state-of-the-art equipment. We want their classroom experience to be very similar, if not exact, to what they would find out in the field. That goes for all our programs, not just with health care. We go beyond the theoretical and all our programs give students practical, hands-on experiences.”

Buncombe County Schools Communications Department

Public Schools in Asheville

The region’s public schools play an integral role in workforce development efforts. Buncombe County Schools Career and Technical Education (CTE) department, for example, works extensively with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Development Board and business and industry partners to align course offerings and work-based learning experiences to the needs of the region.

The school system offers three certified career pathways — hospitality and tourism, advanced manufacturing and health care.

“Career Development Coordinators (CDCs) are very instrumental in speaking with students and helping them choose high school courses and postsecondary educational opportunities,” says Taylor Baldwin, director of CTE for Buncombe County Schools.

The district also offers 16 national career clusters with multiple pathways for students to explore and complete. Some programs are hosted at individual high schools, while others are taught at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) through its Career and College Promise High School Programs.

“Business and industry open their doors to our students allowing them to participate in work-based learning experiences, such as shadowing, cooperative education, internships and apprenticeships. These real-world experiences allow students to experience firsthand various aspects of careers and opportunities in Buncombe County,” Baldwin says.

The district’s CTE department collaborates with A-B Tech and Buncombe County Middle College to begin intentional placement of students with industry partners for job shadowing and internships. The collaboration yields certifications and opportunities for students in Middle College to gain the training necessary to work with local partners and stay locally in a career they truly love, Baldwin says.

ArtSpace Charter School, a K-8 school recognized as a 2022 National ESEA Distinguished School, uses the arts and science to teach students employable skills, such as problem-solving and teamwork. 

Asheville City Schools also begins career training and exploration as early as elementary school.

“We are fortunate to have the opportunities to work closely with our students, teachers, counselors, and administrators to begin career awareness at the elementary level, career exploration with our middle school students, and career preparation with our high school students,” says Dillon Huffman, public information officer for Asheville City Schools.

During the 2022-2023 school year, the school system launched a pilot program with eighth graders at Montford North Star Academy, which allowed students to identify a career pathway of interest and then register for high school courses that would help prepare them for that career. The school system also hosts career fairs at the middle schools and mini career days at the elementary schools.

“At the high school level, our CTE classes will tour the various CTE pathways and programs available at AB Tech. We have a job signing fair for students to gain a summer job or permanent employment after graduation,” Huffman says. “We also have a partnership with Watauga Opportunities, which provides pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities. They meet with families and staff to help refer students for community resources, health care and job placement.”

Private Schools in Asheville

Parents who want to send their children to private schools have many options in the Asheville area. For example, in the Biltmore Forest neighborhood of Asheville is Carolina Day School, which accommodates about 600 pre-K-12 students.

Also in Asheville are The New Classical Academy and Rainbow Community School. The New Classical Academy features a school for children from pre-K-4 as well as a middle school for grades 5-8, while Rainbow Community School serves about 200 students enrolled in pre-K-8.

About 12 miles from downtown Asheville in Buncombe County is the community of Swannanoa, home to Asheville Christian Academy, a K-12 school with an enrollment of 650 students and 50 faculty members.

Also in Swannanoa is The Learning Community School, which has about 300 students attending a campus split into grades K-3 and grades 4-8.

– Staff writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.