STEM East

Join Careers Electric™ Summer Academy Program Leader Kristie VanAuken to learn how your community can help prepare the next generation of electrical workers.

Launched in North Carolina in 2026, Careers Electric™ is a national initiative supported by the Siemens Foundation and a coalition of employers. The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) led 12 Summer Academies in its first year, serving 213 participants through electrical instruction, safety training, hands-on learning, and connections to college and career pathways.

Now NCBCE is recruiting community college partners for 2027, with a focus on expanding opportunities in Eastern North Carolina. Participating communities can receive support for student completion stipends, transportation, tools and materials, student success advising, and supplemental instruction. All high schools are eligible to refer students to the academy (and we hope they all will!). Each community college that hosts a Careers Electric™ Summer Academy will have an online interest form for students; an info session will follow, then an application to participate. It is a competitive process, but the selected students get a wonderful experience that truly sets them on a lucrative career path.

Join the webinar to hear what the pilot communities learned, what partners will need to deliver an academy, and how to apply. Applications are open October 1–November 2, 2026.

Who should attend: Community Colleges (CE and curriculum), superintendents, principals, CTE directors, students, employers, and workforce development boards.