Caterpillar Pledges Up To $10M for NC Workforce
Caterpillar workforce investment allocates up to $10 million for North Carolina manufacturing training and industry technician career pathways.
Caterpillar is allocating up to $10 million to expand manufacturing workforce training in North Carolina. The funding is the sixth allocation from its five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative. The company is working with Central Carolina Community College and the Sanford Area Growth Alliance on a statewide initiative in Sanford. It aims to prepare current and future workers for modern manufacturing and industry technician roles. The program will support hands-on pathways for students, employer engagement and access to affordable training.
Training For Modern Manufacturing
The initiative is designed to define skills needed for future jobs and connect more people with manufacturing careers. Caterpillar employs more than 3,600 people in North Carolina, works with 325 suppliers across the state and has a dealer network there.
“Investing in people is essential to building the workforce advanced manufacturing will need for the future,”
“North Carolina's growth creates an opportunity to help more people build the skills they need for careers in manufacturing and strengthen the workforce that will support the industry for years to come.”
Sanford Manufacturing Plans
Caterpillar recently announced plans to invest approximately $1 billion in North Carolina to expand manufacturing capacity for its Cat Compact business. The plans include a new manufacturing facility in Sanford for compact track loaders and telehandlers. Its Clayton facility manufactures small wheel loaders and supports backhoe loader distribution.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein stated:
“North Carolina is home to the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, and Caterpillar recognizes what our state brings to the table,”
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein stated:
“I thank Caterpillar for its long-standing partnership and look forward to more economic opportunity coming to Sanford.”
A Sixth Workforce Allocation
North Carolina joins Indiana, Texas, Illinois and Arkansas as locations supported by the initiative, alongside an innovation challenge. The North Carolina funding focuses on training routes that can help people enter and advance in manufacturing careers.
From an announcement by Caterpillar.
