THANK YOU LUMINA FOUNDATION

Cape Fear Community College was selected as one of 20 community colleges in the nation to receive a Lumina Foundation and Achieving the Dream (ATD) grant to boost enrollment of adult students of color.

Through the Prioritizing Adult Community College Enrollment (PACCE) grant, CFCC plans to implement strategies to increase enrollment for adult learners in its Truck Driver Training program. Specific emphasis will be placed on partnerships with local Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American community organizations and targeted outreach campaigns.

“Employers demand a skilled workforce and this initiative will help us identify barriers adult students face. It will help us build a workforce pipeline, offer students affordable training for a well-paying career, and help them achieve a greater quality of life.”

— John Downing, Vice President Economic & Workforce Development

“As open-access institutions, our community colleges are pivotal to helping increase the enrollment, re-enrollment, and success of adult learners. Cape Fear Community College shows that they have a deep understanding of the needs of adult students and include racial equity as an explicit goal. This direct support will help them accelerate, scale, and sustain their efforts.”

— Dr. Monica Parrish Trent, ATD Vice President Network Engagement

“According to the American Trucking Association, they need about 900,000 truck drivers just to catch up on the supply chain that’s stopped up. They’ve got ships waiting to get in to the docks but not enough trucks to pull the loads out. They’ve got 12 to 15 loads for every truck that pulls in there.”