RALEIGH, N.C., April 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
and Piedmont Natural Gas today announced an additional $5 million investment to connect community
college students with career development opportunities, bringing
the company's total investment to $35
million over the last 13 years. These funds support the
company's philanthropic focus on economic and workforce
development.
The grants will be open to community colleges throughout the
state for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, giving
students hands-on experience and businesses access to a pipeline of
skilled workers. In June 2016, Duke
Energy announced that it hit its $30
million investment milestone with 49 N.C. community colleges
receiving grants to equip students with industry-specific training,
and to develop programs such as robotics, welding, mechatronics,
and other high-skilled areas with growing demand in North Carolina.
"The NC Community College System is appreciative of the
investment Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are making in our
students," said system President James
Williamson, Ph.D. "The apprenticeship experience can be
incredibly valuable to our students and we look forward to working
with industry and business partners to put our students to
work."
"Duke Energy is committed to building a smarter energy future to
benefit all North Carolinians, which requires making smart
investments in our workforce," said David
Fountain, Duke Energy's North
Carolina president. "As we continue to add jobs in
North Carolina, our state's
community colleges are key to developing the skilled workers that
our company – and others across the state – rely on."
"Apprenticeships in North
Carolina are training people for high-quality jobs, helping
businesses find qualified workers, and setting the stage for
long-term economic prosperity," said N.C. Department of Commerce
Secretary Anthony Copeland. "This
grant reinforces the Department of Commerce's commitment to helping
businesses develop a pipeline of talent through strong partnerships
with NCWorks Apprenticeship and their local community
colleges."
The application process will open on June
1 with a letter of intent, and specific directions will be
available then at the Foundation For The Carolinas website (Duke
Energy Carolinas customers and Piedmont Natural Gas customers in
western NC) and North Carolina Community Foundation website (Duke
Energy Progress customers and Piedmont Natural Gas customers in
eastern NC). Applications will be reviewed by a committee of
representatives from Duke Energy, NC Community College System and
NC Department of Commerce.
NC Community College System
With 58 colleges located across our state and nearly 840,000
students, the North Carolina Community College System is one of the
largest institutions of higher education in the United States and is internationally
recognized for its programs supporting economic and workforce
development. Learn more at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu. Follow NC
Community Colleges on Twitter and Facebook.
Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to
address the needs of the communities where its customers live and
work. The foundation provides more than $30
million annually in charitable gifts. The foundation's
education focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy
and workforce development. It also supports the environment and
community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.
Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their
communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of
nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on
its legacy of community service. For more information,
visit http://www.duke-energy.com/foundation.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More
information about the company is available at
http://duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about people, innovations, and community
and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and
insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Contact: Meredith Archie, Duke
Energy
Office: 919.546.2109 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Email: meredith.archie@duke-energy.com
Twitter: @DE_MeredithA
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SOURCE Duke Energy