The Office of Workforce Development is awarding Talent Development and Engagement Workforce Grants to develop a skilled workforce for transportation projects and connect employers to talent, training, apprenticeships and upskilling opportunities.
On May 26, the City of Charlotte awarded its first Mobility Workforce Grants to six organizations as part of the Skilled to Build initiative to train and connect residents to careers in transportation infrastructure. The partners below each bring distinctive expertise, target populations and credentials to this coordinated effort — spanning entry-level pre-apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, CDL training, flagger and field safety certification, OSHA and heavy equipment safety credentials and employer engagement.
Training Providers
Charlotte Area Fund (CAF)
Offer | A four-week, cohort-based pre-employment program pairing classroom and hands-on equipment training. Participants earn five stackable credentials — OSHA-10, CPR/First Aid, Flagger, Forklift, and Heavy Equipment Operator Level 1 — plus the Working Smart soft-skills curriculum, financial coaching, and a dedicated Success Coach from intake through placement. Supportive services cover transportation, work attire, safety gear, and childcare referrals.
Charlotte Electrical Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee (JATC) — Carolinas Electrical Training Institute
Offer | A four-year registered apprenticeship on an earn-while-you-learn model: 900 hours of instruction plus 8,000 hours of paid, supervised on-the-job training. Curriculum spans DC/AC theory, blueprint reading, conduit fabrication, fiber optics, transformers, and EV charging. Apprentices have worked on Charlotte Douglas International Airport, traffic-signal networks, and light rail. Graduates start at $70,366/yr, exceeding the metro mean wage.
National Center on Institutions & Alternatives (NCIA) — Vocational Training Center
Offer | A holistic, one-stop training model at no cost, with CDL Class A & B licensure tracks. Each participant is matched with a Case Manager who addresses legal, health, housing, financial and transportation barriers—including record expungement and motor vehicle fine abatement. An eight-week Work Readiness Institute delivers job readiness, soft skills, conflict resolution and financial literacy.
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)
Offer | Accelerated 8–16-week certification in two infrastructure-aligned areas. Flagger License Certification prepares participants for NC DOT-required credentialing legally needed to staff highway rights-of-way (bilingual version available). Workplace & Field Safety adds four new offerings — Confined Space, Trench & Excavation, Field Safety, and expanded OSHA certification.
She Built This City (SBTC)
Offer | A nine-week pre-apprenticeship taught by active industry professionals, with guest instructors from Sherwin-Williams, Rosendin Electric, Radiant Electric, and Precision Plumbing. All participants complete OSHA-10, construction math, tool usage, and soft skills. Add-on certifications include OSHA-30, Heavy Equipment, Trenching & Excavation and Work Zone & Traffic Control Safety (60%+ of participants), plus an AI-enabled Project Management Certification (up to 40%).
Employer Engagement & Workforce Services
Charlotte Works / White Label Management Group (WLMG)
Offer | Serving as the initiative's Employer Engagement Hub, with White Label Management Group (WLMG) providing dedicated business outreach and pipeline execution: employer intake and needs assessment, OJT and IWT grant administration, job matching and placement support, and structured retention follow-up at 30, 60, and 90 days. WLMG provides a single point of contact for employers, reducing administrative burden, while youth participants receive paid work experience aligned to career exploration. Quarterly sector listening sessions keep programming responsive to shifting employer demand.