Johnston Community College Joins NC Community Colleges Boost Program to Empower Students and Drive North Carolina’s Economic Growth
Published:Accelerated college to career program is designed to train the workforce that will
drive North Carolina’s economic prosperity
Smithfield, NC – (February 5, 2025) In an effort to advance workforce development and create pathways to high-wage,
in-demand careers, Johnston Community College (JCC) is excited to announce its participation
in the NC Community Colleges Boost program. This innovative initiative is aimed at
accelerating students’ progress through college and into the workforce, aligning with
the state's economic development goals.
The NC Community Colleges Boost program is being launched with a historic grant of $35.6 million from Arnold Ventures, marking the largest private investment ever received by NCCCS. Modeled after the City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (CUNY ASAP), the Boost program has already proven successful in other states, where it has doubled graduation rates and reduced the time to degree completion.
“The comprehensive wraparound services in the Boost program are designed to catch students before they fall,” says JCC President Dr. Vern L. Lindquist.
“Once we demonstrate the success of Boost, we hope to make it the standard of student support for every student at JCC and statewide,” Lindquist adds.
The NC Community Colleges Boost program is set to serve students at JCC and 14 other participating colleges across North Carolina. The program will focus on sectors identified as critical to the state's economic future.
This program works through a combination of timely and relevant supports, dedicated advising for students, and incentives to accelerate their education. This program is a partnership between the state, NCCCS, colleges, and students that invests in students so that they can get good jobs that help their communities. To receive the benefits of the NCCCS Boost program, participating students must meet certain eligibility criteria, choose a program that leads to an in-demand career, and meet regular program benchmarks.
“This program has increased graduation rates, reduced time to graduation, and lowered the cost per graduate across many individual colleges in several states,” said NCCCS president Dr. Jeff Cox. “Here in North Carolina, we have every reason to expect similar results. What makes this especially exciting is the opportunity to demonstrate success through our pilot and then scale it statewide—something few other states have done. We are fully committed to transparency and will track and report the program’s results regularly, ensuring policymakers can clearly see the return on investment. This is an exciting day for North Carolina businesses, companies looking to relocate to a state dedicated to world-class workforce development, and for the citizens of North Carolina. We expect the North Carolina Community College System Boost program to make a significant, positive contribution to our state’s economic future.”