“Train the East”: new Latino education & workforce opportunity program starts in community colleges

KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) - Four community colleges here in the east are taking part in a new initiative to bridge educational opportunities for the growing Latino population.

Lenoir Community College announced a new partnership with James Sprunt, Sampson, and Wayne Community colleges under a new program called “Train the East” through the Go Global Latino Pipeline Initiative. This will be a two-year program for Latino students by providing full-time outreach to recruiters and success coaches and scholarships for tuition, supplies, and other fees.

“We are excited to be a part of the Train the East initiative, and we are so grateful to the Anonymous Trust for the confidence they have in our consortium,” says Lenoir Community College President Dr. Rusty Hunt. “I also want to thank Cecilia Holden with myFutureNC for her leadership as we strive to produce two million workforce credentials by the year 2030. We are committed to providing the workforce that our business partners and employers in eastern North Carolina need.”

Hunt added that the Latino population is growing quickly and he wanted to take steps in expanding the college’s opportunities to better reach this population.

This program was funded through a $1 million award from Anonymous Trust and each community college will receive $250,000.

The Go Global Latino Pipeline Initiative connects representatives from education, businesses, and government from myFutureNC with communications from Mexico on educational needs.