Central Piedmont Community College and Bank of America today announced a new $1-million jobs initiative partnership to help students of color successfully complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce and embark on a path to success in the Charlotte region. This initiative builds on Bank of America’s ongoing work in the communities it serves to address underlying issues facing individuals and communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the current health crisis.

“Bank of America has a long-standing commitment to advancing economic mobility in the U.S., and particularly in Charlotte region,” said Bank of America Charlotte Market President Charles Bowman. “Our focus on workforce development has been integral in creating opportunities for local residents, and for that reason we have a history of supporting Central Piedmont. Recent events that heighten the urgency to advance racial equity have driven us to do more, and this financial grant is a first step of that commitment.”

The initiative is part of the bank’s recent nationwide $1-billion, four-year commitment to advance racial  equity and economic opportunity, and a $25-million commitment recently announced to enhance upskilling and reskilling for Black and Hispanic-Latino individuals.This year alone, the bank provided $3.3 million in grants to nonprofits that are connecting individuals to skills and employment in the Charlotte region.

“Central Piedmont is grateful and excited to be part of Bank of America’s national initiative to create educational and career success opportunities for Black and Hispanic-Latino students,” said Central Piedmont President Kandi Deitemeyer. “This generous grant will enable the college to support these students in developing the skills that lead to family-sustaining careers in high-demand employment fields. Bank of America’s thoughtful philanthropic investment promises significant benefits for students, their families, and our entire community.” 

The national $25-million initiative includes partnerships with nearly two dozen community colleges, including Central Piedmont, that serve predominately Black and Hispanic-Latino students, public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and public Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs). Bank of America is also partnering with and providing funding to the Aspen Institute to convene the participating higher education institutions for technical and programmatic assistance and to share best practices.

“Today is a special day for Central Piedmont Community College and the thousands of students it serves,” said Dena R. Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager. “For more than 50 years Central Piedmont has played an integral part in providing educational, training and workforce opportunities, making the college a key player in improving the economic trajectory for many of its students.” 

“Central Piedmont Community College is a treasured asset to Charlotte, not only as a solid workforce partner, but also as one of the key contributors responsible for our city’s prospering economic mobility,” shared Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. “By offering careers, collaboration, and higher learning to our residents, this institution is a shining illustration that our city continues to flourish.”

Bank of America, in partnership with the Charlotte regions’ corporate community and local public sector, will continue to work to ensure the workforce development programs target specific hiring needs to create a clearly defined career pathway to future employment. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Central Piedmont Community College, as academic medicine continues to grow in importance for Atrium Health,” said Atrium’s Jim Dunn, Executive Vice President & chief people and culture officer. “The workforce development programs at Central Piedmont open up tremendous opportunities for local students to obtain the skills and experience to secure fulfilling and rewarding careers. From Certified Nursing Assistant training, to Nursing and Allied Health career pathways, the Charlotte area is fortunate to have such a local talent pipeline partner to help fill a variety of roles within our Atrium Health enterprise.”

The most recent financial commitment builds on support the bank has provided to other area higher education institutions focused on serving students of color and strengthening community economic mobility. Recipients include historically Black institutions of higher education, Johnson C Smith University and Livingstone College, as well as UNC Charlotte, Queens University and Johnson & Wales University.

“Central Piedmont provides much-needed opportunities for underrepresented populations to access higher education and acquire the skills needed to establish meaningful careers,” said President and CEO of myFutureNC Cecilia Holden. “The college’s short-term certificate and two-year degree programs are aligned with the needs of employers and offer direct pathways to in-demand jobs and greater economic mobility. Expanding higher education and career preparation access to underserved, low-income individuals will have immeasurable impact on their lives and the economic vitality of North Carolina.”

Additionally, as part of its “Executive on Loan” program, Bank of America executive Anna-Maria (Ria) Nicholls serves as Chief Diversity Officer to Central Piedmont and plays a key role in helping them shape an institutional vision for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

According to a recent article published by Central Piedmont partner Novant Health, certified medical assistants are in high demand. In fact, the profession is expected to grow 19 percent over the next decade as the baby boomer generation grows older.

As this population ages, physicians across the country will need help addressing this demographic’s preventative medical service needs. Certified medical assistants can help, easing doctors’ workloads by providing assistance in the following areas:

• administration (organizing medical records, scheduling appointments, and receiving patients)
• clinical care (recording vital signs, drawing blood, assisting with medical examinations, and administering immunizations)
• lab work (from collection to testing)

For more than 50 years, Central Piedmont’s certified medical assistant program has been producing graduates who are equipped with the above skill sets and prepared to pursue a successful career in healthcare.

Our graduates are critical thinkers and problem solvers who enter the workforce with a high degree of technical skills, effectiveness, and efficiency. As a result, they are highly recruited by physician’s offices, urgent care centers, medical clinics, outpatient surgery centers, and ambulatory centers across the region.

Learn more about this in-demand career or how to enroll in Central Piedmont’s certified medical assistant program.

Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice (TALTP), a peer-reviewed journal published by Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, is aimed toward instructors of American literature courses in four- and two-year universities and colleges.

The journal is currently accepting submissions for our fall 2020 and winter 2020 issues:

• Fall 2020 issue: Teaching Horror and the Weird in the American Literature Classroom, to be guest edited by Chris Brawley, author of "Nature and the Numinous in Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature."
• Winter 2020 issue: Teaching Western and Native American Literature, to be guest edited by Susan M. Stone, author of works on 19th-century regionalism, gender, and Native American literature and culture.

Learn more about Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice.

The Lowes Foundation has awarded Central Piedmont a $52,500 grant, as part of the college's Powering a Stronger Future campaign, to support five Opportunity Scholarships at the college.

Central Piedmont’s Opportunity Scholarship Initiative provides low-income students with a pathway to a degree and greater economic mobility by covering the full cost of attendance – tuition, books, and fees – for two years. Recipients also receive a notebook computer to meet their digital needs.

Central Piedmont’s $52,500 grant is part of a larger, $9.25 million commitment the Lowes Foundation made to the greater Charlotte region on Oct. 13, to support some of the most critical challenges facing Charlotte today: providing safe affordable housing, continuing to grow the skilled trade industry, ensuring access to technology, and boosting small businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Central Piedmont will use its grant funds to support students participating in the ROC (Rebuilding Opportunities in Construction) program – an initiative that trains and certifies high school students for in-demand trade skills in the construction industry – and/or students who are interested in pursuing a construction-focused career pathway.

Learn more about the Lowes Foundation’s $9.25 million commitment and the many organizations it will benefit.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at Central Piedmont or the college’s partnership with the ROC program.

To help small businesses navigate any startup and/or growth challenges they are experiencing during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Central Piedmont Community College’s Small Business Center is offering two free webinar series this fall focused on “HVAC business development” and “non-profit capacity building post-COVID.”

HVAC Business Development Series
The demand for heating and air-conditioning services is anticipated to increase over the next five years with industry revenue forecasted to increase from $84 billion to $100 billion. This is an ideal time to plan entry into the industry. Technicians thinking about striking out on their own will find value in this series, which will equip them with the business skills needed to transition from a technician to small business owner. This series is designed for individuals with existing skills and licenses to start a business, as well as those interested in gaining the business skills to one day obtain the necessary industry certificates and licenses.

• Oct 1: Staying Cool when Starting an HVAC Business
• Oct 8: Developing an HVAV Business Plan
• Oct 15: Turn Up the Heat on Marketing Your HVAC Business
• Oct 22: No-Sweat Budgeting for HVAC Business

Post-COVID Non-Profit Series

This timely series will cover new ground and provide specific strategies to leverage during this era of social isolation. Attendees will discover how to elevate their board, find donors and dollars, and make virtual fundraising work for them. The series will be led by John Curtis, Ph.D., founder of IOD, Inc., and is tailored to help local nonprofit founders excel in the marketplace.

• Nov 4: How to Develop an Active, Engaged Board of Directors in a Post-COVID World
• Nov 11: How to Conduct a Successful Strategic Planning Process in a Post-COVID World
• Nov 18: How to do Virtual Fundraising in a Post-COVID World

Small business owners interested in enrolling in one of the above sessions are encouraged to register early; slots fill quickly. For more information or questions, email renee.hode@cpcc.edu.

Central Piedmont and Queens University of Charlotte announced the launch of its RoyalUp program – a new pathway to a bachelor’s degree that aims to expand college access to more students – on Sept. 25.

Students who enroll in RoyalUp will take their first two years of classes at Central Piedmont and finish their bachelor’s degree at Queens. Students who maintain a 2.5 GPA or above are guaranteed admission as well as a $10,000 annual scholarship at Queens. This plan offers a new, cost-effective and direct pathway for Central Piedmont students who want to pursue a four-year degree.

“This public-private partnership is unique and will be a great benefit to students in Mecklenburg County. We are excited to offer this option and pathway to our students who will thrive at Queens, where they will enjoy small class sizes, relationships with professors and a strong surrounding community,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “At the same time, this partnership is a great example of the higher-education community in Charlotte working together to build more avenues to greater economic mobility.”

Learn more about the RoyalUp program.

Missed the event? Watch the digital recording of the live announcement.

Central Piedmont Community College is participating in the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation Bridge to Career Cohort Program, an initiative that seeks to remove financial barriers for students seeking to obtain state-regulated or industry-recognized credentials through the workforce continuing education division of their local community college. The goal is to help students establish sustainable wage careers within their local communities.

Central Piedmont is one of 50 community colleges in the state to receive funding for up to 30, $500 scholarships, as well as an additional $3,000 to hire an Education Navigator through the Bridge to Career Cohort Program. The Education Navigator is responsible for administering the program, guiding the cohort through the program and connecting them with the soft skills and interview preparation trainings needed to alleviate any barriers to job attainment.

The scholarship program will be administered by Central Piedmont’s College and Career Readiness department with support from the college’s Financial Aid office and the Grants Administration team. The College and Career Readiness department will identify and select eligible students currently enrolled or planning to enroll in the college’s commercial driver license, welding and phlebotomy programs; and provide support services to the student cohort. Once named a scholarship recipient, students may apply their scholarship monies toward registration fees, books, certification fees, course supplies or any other educational expenditures charged to their college account.

“Our team is excited to help students receive the workforce training and assistance they need to find employment opportunities in Mecklenburg County and beyond,” said Sheena Ashley, director of career development and NextGen at Central Piedmont. “We will walk with them every step of the way, providing them with support services, such as advising, career planning and coaching, to ensure their personal and professional success.”

All 58 N.C. community colleges were invited to participate in the Bridge to Career Cohort Program for FY 2020-2021. To apply for the increased scholarship funds available through the cohort program (scholarships: $15,000; program support staff: $3,000), Central Piedmont had to submit a Request for Funding Proposal.

To learn more about the SECU Bridge to Career Program, the eligibility requirements and more, please visit cpcc.edu/financial-aid/scholarships.

To help small businesses navigate any startup and/or growth challenges they are experiencing during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Center is offering a series of free government contracting webinars in September and October.

The series will focus on the following topics:

• Sept 22: Responding to RFPs, RFQs, and ITBs
• Sept. 29: Developing a Capability Statement
• Oct. 7: How to do Business with the City, County, and CLT Airport
• Oct. 13: Business Certifications
• Oct. 20: Proposal Writing 101

Be sure to register early; slots fill quickly.

Questions? Email renee.hode@cpcc.edu.

The City of Charlotte, in partnership with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont and Central Piedmont, is launching an additional fall cohort of its Renewable Energy and Efficiency Workforce (RENEW) training program on Oct. 6.

RENEW provides paid training in the areas of construction; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); and the electrical trades.

“These skill sets are in high demand in the Charlotte region,” said Brian Lucas, associate dean of skilled trades at Central Piedmont. “RENEW will teach eligible students the basic skills they need to succeed in the workforce and potentially place them in successful full-time, entry-level employment opportunities upon completion.”

The upcoming 16-week training classes will be held virtually and in person at both the Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center, located at 1335 Alleghany St., and on Central Piedmont’s Harper Campus, located in southwest Charlotte. The classes are scheduled from Oct. 6, 2020 to Feb. 5, 2021, and will focus on a variety of subjects, including:

• basic residential and commercial construction
• HVAC training, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and building automation systems
• basic electrical training that can potentially lead to job placement in facility management, electrical trade work, solar/photovoltaic panel installation and maintenance, and/or electric vehicle maintenance and charging infrastructure careers
• general energy management concepts

In addition to learning real world skills, students will receive: a stipend of $15/hour, career counseling in preparation for a paid work-based learning opportunity, OSHA 10 and EPA 608 certifications, and full-time employment within the industry.

The deadline to apply for participation in the fall 2020 cohort is Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.

Questions? Contact Marvin Kelley with the Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center at 704.839.4235 or via email.

Central Piedmont’s Wilton and Mary W. Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence has been featured in the 2020 Achieving the Dream (AtD) Teaching and Learning Toolkit, a resource that is shared on the organization’s website and with its 277 partner institutions located in 44 states across the country.

AtD assembles the toolkit each year for the nation’s college faculty and teaching staff to build institutional capacity in teaching and learning. The toolkit offers best practices for teaching remotely and in the classroom and an assortment of higher education case studies focused on promoting student success through policies and practices.

Central Piedmont’s Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence is featured in Chapter 5 of the Toolkit titled, “A Hub for Innovation & Change: Strengthening Your College’s Professional Learning Infrastructure.” The chapter focuses on the importance of having Professional Learning Hubs – a term AtD uses to describe any college-wide unit that organizes, develops, and supports faculty professional learning activities – on higher education campuses.

Central Piedmont’s new Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence fits AtD’s Professional Learning Hub definition, as detailed in the article. Chapter 5 describes how the college’s Teaching and Learning Excellence Team used data to not only support the creation of a Center at Central Piedmont, but also to determine the Center’s focus areas (faculty programming, faculty development, faculty engagement, etc.); mission, vision, and values; and more.

“The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Central Piedmont is a hub for innovation,” said Shantell Strickland-Davis, executive director for the Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. “It’s an anchor, an intentional place for faculty and teaching staff to not only build a culture of excellence for teaching at the college, but also raise awareness of Central Piedmont as a quality two-year college across the region, state, and country.”