Fayetteville Technical Community College and Brunswick Community College have partnered to increase opportunities for students pursuing a degree in Funeral Service Education.

FTCC and BCC made the agreement official in a signing this month at Brunswick’s campus.

The arrangement allows Brunswick students to complete their general education courses at their home community college before transferring to Fayetteville Tech for degree-specific courses in Funeral Service Education.

“This is an opportunity to meet the community need in Brunswick for embalmers,” said Dr. Sharon Gallagher, the dean over FTCC’s Funeral Service program in a press release. “There is a statewide shortage in this industry, and FTCC is joining with our educational partners to provide these opportunities.”

Three courses require in-person training, and this agreement provides students with the flexibility to meet those requirements without excessive travel.

“Students will have the opportunity to do either work-based learning at local funeral homes in their community or travel to our campus to complete lab hours for those courses,” Gallagher said.

Brunswick is the sixth community college to partner with FTCC on the funeral service program. Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Vance-Granville and Wayne community colleges also partnered with FTCC to provide access to the funeral service program for their students.

The FTCC program, which is led by a team of faculty who are all licensed funeral professionals, is the only American Board of Funeral Service Education-accredited program in the state. The majority of the coursework can be completed online, and the program includes a capstone course for National Board Exam review.

The State Board of Funeral Service of North Carolina requires that students complete an apprenticeship or resident traineeship at a licensed funeral home before being eligible for licensure.

FTCC has also partnered with other community colleges on other programs, with a goal of expanding educational opportunities to meet workforce needs across various industries.

Over the past 18 months, FTCC made agreements with Richmond Community College in Respiratory Therapy, Funeral Service, Paralegal, Speech Language Pathology, and Electric Utility; with Robeson Community College in Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting, Funeral Service, and Truck Driving; and with Bladen Community College in Truck Driving.

For more information about FTCC's Funeral Service Education program, please visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/academics/public-service-programs/funeral-service-education/