Posted on the Community College website on August 3, 2026.
Several large-scale, workforce-focused projects led by or involving community colleges have received word over the past week of major federal investments. Most of the funding comes from the U.S. Commerce Department and the National Science Foundation.
In North Carolina, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) will receive $29.2 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which is part of the Commerce Department, to help with Hurricane Helene recovery and expand workforce training and economic opportunity in the area. A-B Tech and Buncombe County, with help from the Land of Sky Regional Council, teamed to apply for the grant to create an education, workforce training and research hub. The partners have eyed a Pratt & Whitney facility that could house the Western North Carolina Futures Factory, which by 2035 would train 800 workers annually, create 2,747 jobs, and produce $189 million in labor income for the region, according to officials.
“In the same way tobacco fields were once converted into what we now know as the Research Triangle Park, this marks the beginning of an education, training and research collaboration that will transform this site into an innovation hub for western North Carolina,” A-B Tech President John Gossett said in a release.
A-B Tech will serve as the on-site provider of education and training, with six partnering universities with engineering programs conducting research and development. Other community colleges in the region also will have access to training and research, including Blue Ridge Community College, Haywood Community College, Isothermal Community College and McDowell Technical Community College.
“We envision a talent pipeline with A-B Tech delivering on-site education and training with stackable credentials through the North Carolina Community College System, a technology testbed with shared R&D from our university partners and national institutes, and industry engagement with direct support for our manufacturers through opportunities to build efficiencies, supply chain resilience and diversification,” Gossett said.