RCC celebrates new apprentices and graduates at 8th Annual Apprenticeship Randolph Ceremony

Randolph Community College celebrated a significant milestone Tuesday, Aug. 6, as 18 local students embarked on their professional journeys by signing on as apprentices with local companies. In addition, eight graduates were honored at the 8th Annual Apprenticeship Randolph Signing and 2024 Graduation Ceremony, held in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center Auditorium.

"I extend my gratitude to our dedicated parents, our esteemed educational and industry partners, and community leaders for their continued support of our mission," RCC President/CEO Dr. Shah Ardalan said during his address. “This evening, we celebrate a momentous occasion. Congratulations to our graduates, and a warm welcome to our new apprentices. What you have witnessed tonight embodies the essence of what community colleges strive to achieve. For over 62 years, our mission has been unwavering — to prepare students for successful careers and to empower them to build better lives for themselves and their families.

“It is a profound honor to be part of this journey. In North Carolina, we have 58 remarkable community colleges, each contributing to the betterment of our state. Randolph Community College is proud to be considered as a model for excellence in apprenticeship programs.”

 Terrance Franklin, Apprenticeship Randolph (AR) Chair and Maintenance Reliability Manager for Post Consumer Brands, welcomed the guests and presented the Apprenticeship Ambassador Award to Randleman High School CTE (Career and Technical Education)-Career Development Coordinator Poppy Cox. RCC Board Members Reynolds Lisk (Chair), James Gouty (Vice Chair), and Cindy Schroder; Superintendents Aaron Woody (Asheboro City Schools) and Stephen Gainey (Randolph County Schools), and Sen. Dave Craven were among the community leaders and supporters recognized at the ceremony.

Randolph County Economic Development Corporation President Kevin Franklin gave the keynote address, starting by noting he is one of the program’s biggest fans.

“Manufacturing has really been a core component and driver in Randolph County for generations,” he said. “We've been making things here for 200 years. Manufacturing is still very much alive and well here in our community, and you all are the next generation of manufacturing workers, continuing a long heritage of makers and doers right here in Randolph County. Simply put, manufacturing is a part of the DNA of our community, and you can take pride in being a maker. Industry drives jobs and investment that sustain all our communities, and your companies have stepped up to invest in growing our own manufacturing workforce right here in our community,”

Adrian Carmona Hernandez, a 2024 Asheboro High School graduate who signed to be a Maintenance Apprentice for Post Consumer Brands, gave the 2027 Class speech. He said that before learning about AR, he had no concrete plan for his future after high school.

“I didn't know if I wanted to be in the military, a police officer, or just go into the painting business with my parents,” Carmona Hernandez said. “Even after I learned about Apprenticeship Randolph and attended orientation week, I wasn’t confident that I would go through with the program. In those short three days, my mind changed. After seeing what this program offered, talking with many business partners, and learning about what their companies were looking for, my interest peaked. My mindset changed from uncertainty to knowing what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be a part of.”

Carmona Hernandez wore a red shirt to stand out and be picked for an interview on the last day of orientation. He thanked the staff at Post for noticing.

After the 18 apprentices signed on with their companies, the eight graduates were honored, receiving their associate degree, an ApprenticeshipNC certificate, and a state journeyworker credential.

Tyler Hulin, a Machinist at United Brass Works, was the 2024 class speaker. He is starting at Eastern Carolina University this fall in the hopes of earning an Industrial Engineering degree.

“Four years ago, we embarked on this journey,” he said. “We started with a lot going on in the world in 2020, from remote classes to not being able to see one another and get to know each other, but we stayed headstrong and overcame that obstacle. We have gotten to know each other and become a group of friends, and I’m very proud of everyone on this stage tonight. This program has built a foundational rock to stand on to keep achieving higher. To the new group of apprentices here tonight — determination is a fuel like no other. Use it. Stay focused on your goals and your dreams that you have set and get the most out of these three years that you can."

RCC Vice President of Learning and Workforce Development/CAO Suzanne Rohrbaugh presided over the graduation ceremony, and RCC Director of Apprenticeships Stacey Miller gave the closing remarks.

Before the ceremony, the graduates and guests were honored with a dinner where Jerry Mize, a Machinist for Energizer Holdings, gave the graduating apprentice remarks and Kevin Franklin was the keynote speaker.

AR began in June 2016 as a collaboration among Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, Asheboro City Schools, the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, and local manufacturers. The goal was to bridge both the interest and skill gaps in modern manufacturing and provide a vehicle for expanding the workforce pool for advanced manufacturing in the county. With tuition funded through Career and College Promise and the N.C. Youth Apprenticeship Tuition Waiver Program and books paid for by the school systems and the participating companies, AR produces an educated, skilled, debt-free workforce.

The program, which is for high school juniors and seniors, begins with an eight-week, pre-apprenticeship summer program that consists of RCC classes and on-the-job training. Once a business selects its apprentice after this trial period, the program is spread over three years with students receiving paid, on-the-job training while earning an associate degree through RCC and a Journeyworker Certificate from the N.C. Community College System and U.S. Department of Labor.

For more information, companies, students, and parents should visit the Apprenticeship Randolph website; contact RCC Director of Apprenticeships and Pathways Stacey Miller at 336-318-4958, or email apprenticeships@gmail.com.

Randolph Community College (RCC), under the leadership of President/CEO Dr. Shah Ardalan, is committed to providing relevant career training and educational opportunities. Affordable degrees and short-term certificate programs start throughout the year, both in person and online. For more information, call 336-633-0200 or visit www.randolph.edu and expect to engage with the most competent and compassionate team of faculty and staff.