Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) and its regional partners are leading a coordinated effort to build a future-ready workforce pipeline aligned with the evolving needs of employers across Cumberland County and the Sandhills. Through immersive STEM camps, year-round learning experiences and new technology-driven education platforms, FTCC is helping youth and adults gain the exposure, skills and confidence needed to pursue high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology, defense contracting and the skilled trades. 

These initiatives support the broader NCWorks NextGen Workforce Initiative, led by Cumberland County Commission Chair Kirk deViere, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin and Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Robert Van Geons. The initiative aims to strengthen the region’s long-term talent pipeline and economic competitiveness. 

This spring and summer, FTCC partnered with the Mid-Carolina Regional Council, Fort Bragg, Cumberland County Schools and Stemerald City LLC to deliver three STEM camps designed to introduce youth and young adults to high-growth career pathways. The programs reflect a shared commitment to early workforce engagement and preparing students for a rapidly changing labor market. 

From June 6-10, FTCC hosted 152 participants, ages 16 to 24, for the My Future So Bright camp, one of the region’s largest youth workforce readiness initiatives. Students were organized into teams and rotated through workshops aligned with employer-identified skill needs. Participants earned industryrecognized credentials in health care, including CPR and Stop the Bleed, as well as the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3), a foundational digital literacy credential. 

They also completed sessions in financial literacy, mental health awareness, professional communication and job search basics, building essential “portable skills” that employers consistently identify as critical for early career success.

Students toured FTCC workforce training programs in the skilled trades, allied health, cybersecurity and information technology, and digital media, gaining firsthand exposure to modern equipment and industry-aligned instruction. They also engaged with the Be Pro Be Proud mobile experience, which uses simulators to introduce students to high-demand skilled trade careers. 

Pre- and post-camp surveys showed increased interest in STEM careers, greater understanding of career pathways, improved readiness for school and work responsibilities, and a stronger appreciation for punctuality, focus and resilience. Overall, 87% of participants strongly endorsed the program. As a follow-up, Mid-Carolina is placing students in paid summer internships with local employers, where they will gain real-world experience in careers of interest. 

The following week, FTCC hosted 24 middle school students from military families for a culminating weeklong STEM camp, part of a multiphase STEM Career Pathways Experience that began earlier in the year with monthly Saturday sessions. This sustained pathway introduced military-connected youth to emerging technologies and future career opportunities while providing continuity and support for students who often face frequent transitions. 

Throughout the program, students explored robotics, drone technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, wearable technology, and other high-growth fields. They programmed and flew drones using Python, designed wearable technologies with microcontrollers, and created digital models produced on FTCC 3D printers. 

Students toured FTCC labs alongside faculty, contractors and college student mentors, gaining exposure to college-level STEM environments. Through team-based challenges, they strengthened leadership, communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. 

The program concluded with a student showcase where participants demonstrated wearable devices, drone projects, coding applications, and 3D-printed designs for their families and FTCC staff. Surveys conducted after each session showed steadily increasing interest in STEM careers, reinforcing the program’s impact. The initiative demonstrated a scalable model for early STEM engagement that blends technical learning, leadership development, and career exploration. 

Beginning July 6, FTCC will expand its youth STEM engagement by hosting a weeklong STEM camp for 30 high school students from Cumberland County in the newly opened SPARKNC Lab in the General Classroom Building. 

This next-generation learning environment is designed to build digital literacy skills, increase awareness of high-tech careers, and expose students to eight technology-driven career pathways. The SPARKNC Lab is a competency-based education platform where students learn by doing. High school students can earn computer science elective credit by completing six modules and a capstone experience. 

Cumberland County Schools already operates a SPARKNC Lab at Douglas Byrd High School, serving students from multiple nearby schools. The FTCC-based lab will operate year-round, during school hours, weekends and summer, providing flexible access for students to explore technology and build skills. 

This investment strengthens FTCC’s existing high school pathways, which serve approximately 325 students at Cumberland Polytechnic High School and more than 1,500 students who travel to campus daily to take college courses through the High School Connections dual enrollment program. The SPARKNC Lab enhances these pathways by giving students a dedicated space to explore technology careers and develop digital competencies employers increasingly expect. 

Together, these initiatives reflect a coordinated strategy to prepare the region’s youth for the careers of tomorrow. By combining early exposure, hands-on learning, industry-recognized credentials and year-round access to emerging technologies, FTCC and its partners are building a sustainable workforce pipeline to support economic growth across Cumberland County and the Sandhills.