North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Project Title: STEPs4GROWTH (Successful Training and Effective Partnerships for Growing Regional Opportunities in the Workforce To Harness)
Region (applicant-defined)/State(s) or territory served: Northeast North Carolina, Piedmont Triad Region of North Carolina, and Charlotte metro area of North Carolina
Phase (applicant-defined): Phase 1 - System Development
Award Amount: $23,687,365
Key Industry / Industries:Energy and Resilience
Contact: Eric Muth, Vice Chancellor, Research and Economic Development, [email protected]
Project Narrative (applicant submitted) (PDF)
View Press Release
Summary:
At the intersection of good jobs, clean energy, and equity, STEPs4GROWTH is addressing growing regional demand and propelling North Carolina into a clean energy future. Led by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), the largest Historically Black College and University in the nation, the project will span 16 distressed counties in the state, including ten Tier 1 counties encompassing “Black Belt” rural communities. Employers in the coalition include but are not limited to Siemens Energy, Duke Energy, Blue Ridge Power, and Strata Clean Energy. With a focus on equity, the coalition will utilize mobile training units in these rural areas to remove barriers to access and meet workers where they are. This coalition’s efforts can be used as a replicable model for providing quality, demand-driven training for the growing clean energy sector across the U.S.

The project narrative included above is what was submitted by the applicants. The final EDA-approved scope of work may differ.