PCC Foundation Receives $1M in Funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation to Expand Welding Program

The Piedmont Community College (PCC) Foundation, Inc. has been awarded $1 million in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation to expand and relocate PCC’s welding program to South Campus.

The funding will allow the College to increase student capacity and industry credential attainment in one of its most popular programs. The program is expected to move to South Campus by January 2027 and will allow student capacity to significantly increase.

“Ensuring available workforce training in high-demand fields like welding is critical to strengthening rural economies,” Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer said. “Golden LEAF is proud to support Piedmont Community College’s strategy to expand its welding program, which will increase access to industry-recognized credentials and ensure local employers have a pipeline of skilled workers to meet growing demand.”

“We are grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation for funding that will equip us to train additional welders in this high demand field,” Dr. Kevin Lee, PCC President said. “By moving our welding program to South Campus, we will increase student capacity and provide a state-of-the-art facility. The new space will mirror real-world welding environments and give students hands-on training with industry-standard equipment, making them highly marketable in today’s workforce.”

“I would also like to thank Person County Commissioners and the Person County Economic Development Board for their hard work in helping us realize this wonderful opportunity to grow our academic programs,” Lee said. “Their support for PCC has been unwavering, and we are very thankful for their continued partnership.”

The funding received is through Golden LEAF’s Community-Based Grants Initiative which is designed to identify projects with the potential to have a significant impact in the North Central Prosperity Zone which includes the following counties: Chatham, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Nash, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake, Warren and Wilson.