The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) said NCEdge trained 33,878 people and the Small Business Center Network (SBCN) helped launch 872 businesses during fiscal 2025-26, with activity reported across all 100 counties.
NCCCS released the figures in its FY2025-26 Economic Development Annual Report on Oct. 27. NCEdge also served 544 companies and completed 323 projects. ApprenticeshipNC supported 16,759 Registered Apprentices, while BioNetwork trained 2,669 specialized workforce trainees, the system said.
SBCN served 6,733 clients, provided 17,256 hours of counseling and held 4,537 training events. The announcement’s measures span different activities, from people trained and company projects to small-business counseling and launches.
NCCCS’s business-services page says all 58 campuses offer customized workforce training. It separately describes ApprenticeshipNC as supporting employer apprenticeship programs, SBCN as providing counseling and classes, and BioNetwork as offering life-sciences training. Together, the services cover workforce development and business support.
The system’s announcement cited a partnership between Gaston College and J&L Machine & Fabrication. It said more than 30 training offerings reached 261 employees. NCCCS credited the partnership with generating $2.5 million in new business, saving $450,000 annually and reducing the company’s reject rate from 3.3% to 0.89%.
NCCCS framed the programs as a way for employers to retain staff and adjust as skills needs and technology change. “Our 58 community colleges are uniquely positioned to help them do it,” said John Loyack, the system’s vice president of economic development.
EconoTimes previously reported on Caterpillar’s North Carolina workforce-training allocation. Separately, Site Selection Magazine ranked North Carolina first in its 2026 workforce development rankings. The magazine said it considered credentials, certificates and degrees, technical skills, productivity and return on investment.
