Talent Development

The Wayne Business & Industry Center is proud to provide apprenticeship services. Registered Apprenticeships help workers learn specialized skills needed in today’s economy. Registered Apprenticeships are employer-driven models that combines on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction. Registered Apprenticeships allow businesses to create flexible and effective training and hiring solutions that work for their industry. Apprentices learn practical skills while earning a nationally recognized industry credential.

Whether your company is small or large, you can tailor an apprenticeship to meet your needs. There are many benefits to registering an apprenticeship:

1. Recruiting top talent
2. Creating a personalized training plan to meet your company’s needs
3. Community college reimbursements – North Carolina is sponsoring free community college tuition for apprentices that start out of high school
4. Employee Retention: Registered apprenticeship programs have high retention rates; 91% of apprentices retain employment after the program ends.
5. Return on Investment – Most employees become profitable within a few months.

If you are an employer looking to start an apprenticeship program, the initial step is to get in contact with our Apprenticeship Coordinator, who can help you and your business develop a customized apprenticeship program that will meet your needs and goals.

For more information, contact:

Kristie Sauls at 919-739-7063 or kjsauls@waynecc.edu

Visit the Apprenticeship Wayne website.

The Customized Training program is state-funded and designed to help businesses and industries remain competitive in our rapidly changing world. It is designed to make a difference in your bottom line, whether your organization is creating jobs, investing in new machinery and equipment or streamlining processes for efficiency.

Is your Company Eligible?

Businesses and industries eligible for support through the Customized Training Program include:

• Manufacturing, Technology Intensive (i.e., Information Technology, Life Sciences)
• Regional or National Warehousing and Distribution Centers
• Customer Support Centers
• Air Courier Services
• National Headquarters with operations outside North Carolina
• Civil Service employees providing technical support to US military installations located in North Carolina

In order to receive assistance, eligible businesses and industries must demonstrate two or more of the following criteria:

• The business is making an appreciable capital investment
• The business is deploying new technology
• The business is creating jobs, expanding an existing workforce, or enhancing the productivity and profitability of the operations within the State
• The skills of the workers will be enhanced by the assistance

Training Topics Areas

Areas of training supported through the Customized Training Program include:

• Leadership & Employee Development Training
• Introduction to Basic Industrial Maintenance Training
• Workplace Health and Safety
• General OSHA Compliance Safety Training
• Continuous Improvement
• Workplace Efficiency in MS Office Applications

What is the process to receive training?

Meet to assess training needs and develop a training plan that will meet your work schedule and skill improvement objectives. Once your needs are known, our training director will work with your management team to develop a customized training project that fits your specific needs. After the North Carolina Community College System approves the project, training will begin either at WCC or at your business/industry. Most training occurs at your site to minimize downtime for your employees.

For more information, contact:

Michael Bolechowski at 919-739-6944 or mabolechowski@waynecc.edu

Don’t meet the eligibility requirements?

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements of the customized training program, Wayne Community College can still assist you with your talent development needs through Workforce Continuing Education occupational extension course offerings.

For more information, contact:

Lisa Newkirk at 919-739-6931 or ldnewkirk@waynecc.edu

Wayne Community College is proud to partner with the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board to offer the NCWorks On-the-Job training program (OJT). This is a program in which businesses hire eligible Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) clients. Upon hire, businesses may be reimbursed up to 50% of the employee’s wages for up to 6 months.

OJT is a training program that utilizes the employer as the trainer. The training subsidy is designed to offset the costs associated with hiring and training a new employee who exhibits a gap in skills. The employer makes the hiring decision and receives free screenings, assessments, and referrals of applicants. The employer makes the determination regarding job performance standards and receives monthly reimbursements.

To participate in the OJT program, employers must ensure the employment is on-going and not temporary, probationary or intermittent. The OJT reimbursement period will be calculated based upon a skills gap analysis including both the skills needed for the specific job, and the skills already retained by the participant. The difference between the two will be used to determine the length of the training period.

Contact our WIOA Business Service Representative for more information and determine if your company is eligible to participate.

For more information, contact:

Cathi Stickles at 919-731-7950 or stickles@waynecc.edu