Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt kicked off a tour of all 58 of the state’s community colleges with a visit Thursday to Brunswick Community College (BCC).
“From the coast to the mountains, North Carolina’s community colleges are delivering on the promise to make sure we have a workforce that is ready for the future,” Hunt said after touring BCC’s campus.
Championing community colleges is one of three priorities in Hunt’s “Future-Ready North Carolina” policy plan released earlier in February. Hunt will highlight the colleges’ workforce development efforts, seek feedback on the state’s role in supporting them, and meet with employers and community members to increase collaboration between colleges and partners, the plan says.
The Future-Ready plan’s other two policy priorities are increasing child care access and affordability and expanding K-12 career readiness programs.
“North Carolina’s future is bright, but we have to make sure our people are trained and capable to take on the innovative and exciting new jobs coming to our state,” Hunt said in a news release.
Hunt, a former state senator representing Mecklenburg County and daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt, was elected lieutenant governor in November. In that post, she sits on both the State Board of Education and the State Board of Community Colleges. Her father, Jim Hunt, was known for his work on education, including establishing Smart Start, a network of local early childhood nonprofits that serve young children, families, and child care programs.
Hunt’s first community college stop at BCC highlighted the college’s programs tied to such high-demand fields as construction, project management, blueprint reading, small engine repair, electrical line worker training, HVAC, welding, and integrated machine technology.
“Workforce development isn’t just about training for the current job market,” Greg Bland, BCC’s vice president of continuing education and economic and workforce development, said during Hunt’s visit.
“It’s about future-proofing our training,” Bland said. “It’s about fostering adaptability and ensuring that every worker has the chance to grow, advance, and take on new challenges, from technical skills with equipment to soft skills with critical thinking and collaboration. We need a workforce ready to tackle tomorrow’s problems today. And I have no doubt that Lt. Gov. Hunt shares that passion — no doubt. She understands that community colleges are still the most effective catalyst for change, economic change in North Carolina.”
Hunt said she also supports PropelNC, a new community college funding model that prioritizes programs that place students in high-demand and high-wage jobs.
The community college system is asking the state legislature for $100 million this session to implement the model.
The plan says Hunt will also emphasize the Career and College Ready Graduate program, which aims to prepare students for community colleges’ entry-level courses before high school graduation.
Child care
Hunt’s policy plan outlines two child care strategies: strengthening and expanding the Tri-Share program and increasing the number of child care programs at community colleges, or “child care training centers.”
Tri-Share is a state pilot funded in 2023 and launched in 2024 that splits the high cost of child care between state government, participating employers, and eligible employees. Participation is low so far but is expected to expand as more businesses hear about it, program leaders said.
Hunt’s plan says she “will lead a coalition of business leaders, families and policymakers to make child care more affordable by renewing and expanding the NC Tri-Share Program to communities across the state.”
Some on-site child care programs serve children of students, faculty, and community members and act as training labs for soon-to-be early childhood teachers studying at the college. There were 13 of these programs out of the 58 campuses in summer of 2024, according to EdNC’s research. Four more had closed in recent years due to financial challenges shared by the larger field.
Hunt’s plan states that she will work to ensure sustained state funding for on-site child care and incentives for colleges to open new programs.
“Addressing the child care crisis across NC is an incredibly complicated task but expanding these programs would leverage our excellent community colleges, strengthen experiential programs for child care professionals and increase options for students and working families,” the package reads.
K-12
Hunt’s priorities also include expanding career readiness programs in K-12 schools.
“While addressing the looming childcare shortage to retain our skilled workers is our most pressing concern, we also have to ensure our graduates are ready for the jobs or next steps that best fit their talents and interests,” the plan reads.
It cites a MyFutureNC study that found that support during transition points, particularly as students graduate high school, is key to postsecondary success. MyFutureNC is a nonprofit coalition aiming to increase the state’s postsecondary attainment to meet workforce demands.
Career readiness programs help students align their interests and skills with their studies and hands-on experiences.
