Tabitha Miller, President, Martin Community College

In an interview with Invest:, Tabitha Miller, president of Martin Community College, discussed changes to community college funding, workforce development, and economic momentum across rural eastern North Carolina. “It’s an amazing time to be in North Carolina right now, and to be in the community college system as a whole,” Miller said.

What changes over the past year have most affected Martin Community College and its students?

From a broad point of view, the biggest change is Propel NC, which is a completely different funding model for our community college system. We have had the same funding model for 70 years. This model focuses on high-skill, high-paying work that is available in the region.

The interesting piece is that it can shift as the market and economic landscape change and as business and industry come into North Carolina. It prioritizes programs and students in high-cost, high-wage fields that are needed across the state, including advanced manufacturing and health sciences.

For Martin Community College specifically, we have finally been able to bring on a practical nursing program. That is significant because we are in rural eastern North Carolina, where many people are place-bound. They may have family responsibilities or unreliable transportation and cannot drive 30 minutes or an hour to another college.

We received a high-cost healthcare startup program grant that helped us bring in the nursing program. We have 25 spots available and more than 100 applicants. I have met students who have thanked us because they have been unable to move beyond nursing assistant positions because they could not travel to another college.

We also already had an established paramedic program serving surrounding counties, so we will be able to support Martin County as it brings on its own paramedic service.

How is North Carolina’s economic growth affecting community colleges?

North Carolina is in a good place. We are seeing certain areas grow as new businesses and industries come in. Nucor recently opened a new plant in Hertford County, and that is going to impact our entire area in northeastern North Carolina because they will need hundreds of employees.

We are in a small, rural area, so we expect that economic driver to create some population shift our way. Across North Carolina, we are seeing positive economic effects from new businesses and population growth, and the community college system has seen a significant increase in student population.

When new industries arrive, you have the employees needed for those businesses, their families, and the businesses themselves using community colleges for training and skill development. The community college becomes vital because we are helping prepare the workforce while also supporting the educational needs of employees’ families.

It’s an amazing time to be in North Carolina right now, and to be in the community college system as a whole. We are used to seeing new businesses go into the Research Triangle or Charlotte, but we are starting to see investment expand into northeastern North Carolina as well.

What could that investment mean for rural eastern North Carolina?

Our area has been declining in population for decades. Williamston once had a booming business and industrial base. Most people were middle class and owned their homes, and then the businesses and industries left. We became a rural Tier 1 county.

Being able to bring those jobs back to the region means we have an opportunity to bring population back as well. We do not have to become a huge town. We just need jobs available for people so they can have good, family-sustaining wages.

We also have a business working with us to come into downtown Williamston whose mission is to enter rural areas trying to revitalize their downtowns. Their employees would support other businesses downtown, such as bakeries and coffee shops. We are excited and hoping that comes through.

Which skills are employers seeking most as they plan for growth?

Employers in the area are looking for trade skills such as welding and electrical. They need people who can operate forklifts and heavy machinery, as well as millwrights and people who understand machining processes and can fix equipment.

Modern manufacturing is different from what some people imagine. It is actually clean, and companies need skilled workers who can think critically through problems. No matter what trade you are part of within manufacturing, you are troubleshooting. If a production line stops, you need to identify the issue and determine how to fix it.

Our electrical instructor came from an industrial background. He teaches students how to put a programmable logic controller board together and then use it to detect and fix problems. That helps build critical thinking skills because students understand how the system works and how to solve an issue when one occurs.

Manufacturing facilities also need welders, plumbers, pipe fitters, electricians, and other trades within the industrial environment. Those are good spaces to work and can provide wages that sustain families.

We have also seen increased demand in information technology, particularly app development, customer service, and troubleshooting. Some companies are bringing jobs ranging from positions requiring a high school education and a willingness to learn to specialized roles requiring advanced degrees.

How do partnerships with employers strengthen career opportunities for students?

Those partnerships are critical, especially for students who do not have experience in that space before going to college. Work-based learning connects students directly with employers and gives them an opportunity to spend part of a semester working with that company.

More often than not, those students are hired full time because they have gained experience and the employer has had a chance to get to know them. We have had several students immediately hired based on internships they completed with an electrical company.

If you graduate and do not have connections, finding a job can be hard. These partnerships help us create those connections for students.

We also received funding through a Good Jobs grant that allowed us to hire a career center director. In addition to helping students with resumes, her focus is connecting us with employers so students can gain experience through internships.

Apprenticeships have been more difficult in rural areas because many employers are smaller and prefer internships or work-based learning. We are working on a regional approach to bolster apprenticeship programs because that is an even further investment in the student.

What opportunities are you most excited about over the next three to five years?

Probably the biggest one is that we are going to get our hospital back. The hospital in Williamston closed a few years ago, and the state budget included money to reopen it. ECU Health has agreed to be part of that, so we now have a plan moving forward.

Having a hospital in the region is critical economically because people generally do not want to live where there is not a hospital. If you are trying to recruit businesses into an area, it becomes more difficult without one. Even if a business does come, recruiting employees can be harder because of those needs.

The other major opportunity is our shift toward a regional approach across northeastern North Carolina. We are trying to think about people first rather than county lines or community college service areas.

Place-boundness can have a major effect on whether someone pursues higher education or finds a better-paying job. Some people cannot travel outside their immediate area because they are taking care of family members or have other responsibilities.

Being able to bring businesses and industries near them is the same as being able to bring an educational program near them. They can take care of their family or aging parents, go to work, make a living wage, and not spend three hours in the car every day.

How is greater regional collaboration changing the outlook for eastern North Carolina?

We are seeing positive movement across the region. Tourism organizations are working together on a regional approach to bring more visitors and tourism dollars into their communities.

There are also changes happening in downtown areas. Windsor, Elizabeth City, and Edenton have all seen positive movement and revitalization. Small businesses and niche opportunities are emerging throughout eastern North Carolina.

What has changed is the willingness to share ideas. Before, you might not want to share the secret of how you were able to get something. Now people are saying, I will tell you how I got it so you can get it too.

That allows all of us to prosper instead of just one community. That collaboration and regional approach are helping bring the area up rather than focusing growth in only one town.