Partnering Together for a Bright Future in the Triangle East
Educators and experts prepare the next generation for highly skilled careers in eastern North Carolina.
The Triangle East region’s education and business communities partner together to develop innovative educational programs in Smithfield, Selma and the surrounding communities that give students access to training and connect them to in-demand jobs.
Johnston Community College (JCC) plays an integral role in filling workforce pipelines, working with multiple stakeholders to provide quality educational programs in Smithfield and the entire Triangle East region. One of the best examples of the power of those partnerships is how the college has forged relationships with the local business community that enable it to quickly adapt to workforce training needs.
Ready for Work in the Triangle East
“This helps us tailor the students’ learning to involve real-world experiences,” says Carrie Pitts-Densmore, senior director of communications and marketing for Johnston Community College. “For example, at the Workforce Development Center in Clayton, we train students on the equipment, software and safety procedures they would find on the job at a local biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility, such as Grifols or Novo Nordisk. These companies also send employees to the center for additional training.”
The college also works with the local school system to create a clear pathway from high school to the workforce. For example, JCC offers college transfer and career and technical pathways and hosts two cooperative, innovative high schools through Johnston County Public Schools on its campus – the Early College Academy and the Career and Technical Leadership Academy.
Promising Partnership for Higher Education
JCC also participates in North Carolina’s Career and College Promise program (CCP), which allows students to begin taking college classes tuition-free while they are in high school.
“Nearly 35% of our current student population is made up of CCP students. The program allows them a unique opportunity to get ahead by pursuing a diploma, certificate, degree or even transfer to a four-year institution,” Pitts- Densmore says.
In 2022, Johnston County Commissioners agreed to help fund the JoCo Commissioners Promise, which offers free tuition to recent Johnston County high school graduates who attend JCC for up to four academic semesters. Eligible students must be North Carolina residents and have either graduated from a high school (or home-school) program or have earned their high school equivalency.
Johnston Community College also saw record-breaking enrollment in fall 2023. Applications, headcount and full-time equivalent enrollment were all up double digits from the year before, Pitts-Densmore says.
Making Higher Education Available
The JoCo Commissioners Promise has helped more than 1,000 students attend college tuition-free.
Pathways to Great Careers
The college partners with Johnston County Public Schools, the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce and local industry leaders to host JOCO Works, a two-day, hands-on career fair for eighth graders held on the JCC campus.
“They tour different booths where they learn more about jobs available to them in the future as well as potential career paths,” Pitts-Densmore says.
“JOCO Works is a wonderful opportunity for these students to begin thinking about what path they might choose when they graduate in four years, or how they can get involved in the CCP program while they are in high school. Our industry partners value this extraordinary exposure, and the students enjoy learning about all the possible pathways they might be able to consider.”
Kelly Wallace, vice president and COO of the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce, says the program was started in response to COVID-19 and the labor shortages that resulted – along with an increasing number of retirees.
Regional officials saw the need to shore up the talent pipeline and decided a good place to start would be with the area’s eighth-grade students.
“Eighth graders are being asked to choose their high school classes based on what they want to be when they grow up. What we’ve learned is that they really don’t know what their opportunities are. That made us realize as a business community that we need to look much younger to build brand loyalty, not only with customers, but also with the workforce,” Wallace says.
“We also want to let students know that a four-year education is not always the only solution for a successful, fulfilling career. We tell them they can earn college credit while still in high school. They can get a two-year degree, or maybe they don’t even need a degree. They can graduate high school with an industry certificate and go to work immediately, and hey, their employer might even pay for their higher education if they decide to go back to school.”
Get to Know the Triangle East
Want to learn more about living and working in Smithfield, Selma and the Triangle East region? Check out the latest edition of Livability Triangle East, North Carolina.