2019
POWER PARTNER AWARD WINNER We were honored to be recognized as a Duke Energy 2019 Power Partner Winner. On July 29, preceding the College’s meeting with the Electrical Lineworker Advisory Board — of which Duke Energy is an active member — Duke Energy presented CFCC with the 2019 Power Partner Winner award. During Hurricane Florence in 2018, CFCC allowed Duke Energy to establish a 2500-person staging area at the College’s North Campus in Castle Hayne.
Pictured from left to right are Duke Energy Lead Engineer Don Hamilton, CFCC President Jim Morton, Duke Energy Account Executive Wilson Hudspeth, and CFCC Vice President of Continuing Education John Downing
“With floodwaters impeding travel and gas shortages anticipated, a difficult restoration effort was more manageable thanks to Duke Energy’s valued partnership with Cape Fear Community College,” said Duke Energy VP of Customer Delivery, Rufus Jackson.
Jackson added “supporting storm restoration efforts is just the latest evidence of the strong partnership with Cape Fear Community College. Over the years, we have seen this partnership flourish with CFCC working with Duke Energy to develop and deliver a lineman training program and host various energy-efficient workshops.” Duke Energy played an instrumental role in the launch of CFCC’s Electrical Lineworker Training program with the $200,000 Apprenticeship grant. The College continues to rely on Duke Energy’s insight for future developments of the program. Recently, the College implemented the CAST TEST which Duke Energy uses as part of their hiring process. The assessment is known to eliminate 50% of applicants. CFCC, by adding this assessment to the program’s curriculum, offers Duke Energy tested, qualified applicants. The program has the highest pass rate of any college in the state coming in at 97%.
“We are extremely grateful for this commendable recognition. The growth of this continued partnership is an exciting prospect for the future development of not only Cape Fear Community College, but coastal North Carolina as a whole.” —CFCC President Jim Morton
SUPPORTING STORM RECOVERY EFFORTS 43
