Pamlico Community College has announced that they are joining the STEM East Network. Pamlico is the 11th Community College to join the network which includes 29 school districts in eastern North Carolina. The growing consortium is an initiative of NC East Alliance that aims to better connect economic development, workforce development, education, and industry in eastern NC. “One of the main goals of this initiative is to build awareness of what job opportunities exist in eastern NC and to train people for those opportunities. Our Community Colleges are an important partner in helping us achieve that goal” said Wesley Beddard, STEM East Consultant.

“We are thrilled to join with regional partners in advancing this important initiative,” said PCC Acting President Michelle Willis-Krauss. “We are excited about advocating for STEM education and ensuring students know about the STEM-based career opportunities available for them in this region. The STEM East Network also will bring professional development opportunities for our instructors. Pamlico is happy to be on the team.”

There are 9 opportunities this summer for teachers and community college staff to learn about the job and training opportunities available within the region in a variety of industry clusters. These Industry In Schools Cluster Workshops will be hosted at STEM East member community colleges throughout eastern NC. The workshops will highlight 6 regional industries which are Health Science; Aviation; SmartAg; Blue Economy; Green Energy; and BioPharma. During these 2-day workshops, participants will learn about the assets available at community colleges that help train the workforce for local job opportunities. They will also leave prepared to take the information they learn and incorporate it into their respective classroom settings.

For more information on the Industry In Schools Cluster Workshops, please visit https://www.stemeast.org/indsch. Industries located in eastern North Carolina are invited to participate in industry dinners that will be held the first night of each workshop. This will be an opportunity to network with local teachers, community college staff, and to learn how you can get involved in growing the workforce and economy of eastern NC.