ONE CHAPTER ENDS… ANOTHER BEGINS

Apprenticeship Randolph honors second class of graduates, signs 17 more

By Megan Crotty

Local administrators and community leaders, along with faculty and staff from Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, Asheboro City Schools, Uwharrie Charter Academy, Faith Christian School, and homeschool; family, and friends gathered on RCC’s Asheboro Campus Aug. 9 to both celebrate Apprenticeship Randolph’s second graduating class and witness 17 more apprentices signed to the program.

The evening started with a celebratory dinner for the 12 graduates in the Armadillo Café. Terence Franklin, Apprenticeship Randolph (AR) Vice Chairman and Maintenance Reliability Manager for Post Consumer Brands, opened the dinner. Guest speaker Jesse Osborne, a 2022 graduate and Electrical Test Technician for Hubbell Industrial Controls, noted that his most memorable RCC courses were in Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).

“I sure am glad we worked with simulators before actually controlling anything physical with a PLC,” he said.

“All of us had many PLC programs that did not work as expected the first time we tried them out. Conveyors malfunctioned, bottles were broken, silos were overfilled, pumps overheated. We were all frustrated at one point or another when something did not work the way we expected it to, but we worked through it, with help when needed. Now that the apprenticeship program is over, we will no longer be taking classes with each other, but I pray that none of us ever stop learning.”

Curriculum & Instructional Management Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division Misty Wolfe gave the keynote address.

“In CTE, our mission is to empower all students to be successful citizens, workers, and leaders in the global economy,” said Wolfe, who spent 20 years in the Randolph County School System before her current position and was a part of AR’s beginnings. “Apprenticeship Randolph was by far the most gratifying project I worked on during my time [in the RCSS].”

RCC Director of Apprenticeships and Pathways Stacey Miller gave the closing remarks.

“I knew from the moment I met each of you at Orientation Week that you would hold a special place in my heart,” Miller continued. “Many of you have gone through situations that have made me sad and mad, happy, and glad; lots of you have lost some very special family members whom I know you wish were here to celebrate with you tonight; many of you have bought new vehicles, got your own place to live, and at least one of you has gotten married. If that’s not maturity, I don’t know what is.”

The celebration then moved to the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center Auditorium for the graduation and signing ceremony. Franklin gave the welcome and introduced Wolfe, who gave the keynote address.

“When we first started talking with our founding Apprenticeship Randolph partners about their needs to fill their talent pipeline, they didn’t talk about specific skill sets, they didn’t talk about talents or grades or even IQ,” she said. “One word kept rising to the surface — grit. … Simply put: Successful people know how to course-correct, and they never quit. They’re gritty.”

Chris Gordon, EG Industries’ newest Tooling Technician Apprentice, gave the 2026 class speech.

“Before I heard about Apprenticeship Randolph, I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do after high school,” Gordon said. “I thought about joining the Air Force. I thought about just getting a stable job and going to college and hoping I could pay for it. But, junior year of high school, I got pulled into the library where teachers talked about Apprenticeship Randolph and how it could change my life. … Thank you to the companies for taking a chance on all of us. We won’t let you down.”

Apprenticeship Regional Coordinator for ApprenticeshipNC

Tiffany Jacobs presided over the signing ceremony as the 17 pre-apprentices each came up onstage to sign their apprenticeship contracts with company partner representatives.

Osborne then gave the graduation address, thanking the instructors, family members, and friends who helped the graduates get to where they are.

RCC Vice President for Instructional Services Suzanne Rohrbaugh, N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) Vice President of Economic Development Dr. Bruce Mack, and Miller presided over the graduation ceremony, during which each graduate was introduced and received their Associate of Applied Science in Manufacturing Technology, a Certificate in Manufacturing Technology, a State Apprenticeship Certificate, and a National Journey Worker Credential. Rohrbaugh closed the ceremony, presenting the graduates as they turned their tassels.