Current Initiatives
Our current initiatives include:
GATE- Growing America Through Entrepreneurship
GATE is a program designed to provide dislocated workers, the education, counseling and tools they need to start a successful business. The Project GATE Team includes the N.C. Commission on Workforce Development, Regional Workforce Development Boards, JobLink Career Centers, The N.C. Community College System and its Small Business Center Network, The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and NC REAL Enterprises. NC REAL is involved with the program design and management as part of the state team. REAL staff also works closely with each of the eight sites to develop a tailored training program for dislocated workers. There are eight community college sites and one virtual site located in Raleigh.
Region: Any dislocated worker located in a rural county in North Carolina can apply to be considered for Project GATE. GATE Sites are located at Isothermal, Western Piedmont, Randolph, Rockingham, Richmond, Robeson, Lenoir, and Edgecombe Community Colleges.
Timeline: 2008- June 2012
Hop on the Bus High School Business Plan Competition
A partnership among N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the Rural Center, NC Council for Economic Education and NC REAL. Hop on the BUS! High School Business Plan Competition is in its sixth year. The Hop on the Bus! Competition is offered twice a year to all high school age students in North Carolina. Business owners and business support providers are needed to serve as judges for the competition.
Region: Statewide
Timeline: Spring and Fall Semester
Rural Home Healthcare Self-Employment Project
Funded by the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center to teach students in the Home Healthcare field entrepreneurship skills, so they can start successful home healthcare businesses. NC REAL updated their Home-Healthcare Entrepreneurship Course and trained facilitators from 6 community colleges to offer the course. Healthcare students interested in entrepreneurship will receive the scholarships to the course and ongoing support from the colleges.
Region: The service areas of the following community college—Roanoke-Chowan, Coastal Carolina, Craven, Edgecombe, Western Piedmont Community Colleges
Timeline: July 2010- December 2011
Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative
Funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission to improve educational opportunities and workforce skills, and create regional effort to grow and support youth entrepreneurship. The initiative created a Regional Support Team to promote entrepreneurship education in K-16. Teachers were given tools to build entrepreneurial skills in students. Youth are learning about entrepreneurship as a career option, while building skills that will benefit them whatever their career choice.
Region: Burke, McDowell, Rutherford, Yancey, Avery and Mitchell Counties
Timeline: July 2010- December 2011
Specialty Crop and Value Added Entrepreneur Project
Funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission to initiate a region-wide entrepreneurial training and support network to create and expand sustainable agricultural based businesses in western North Carolina.
Region: the 29 Western Counties
Timeline: July 2010- December 2011
Growing REAL Agriculture Enterprises in Robeson County
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NC REAL is partnering with the Lumber River Workforce Development Board, Southeastern Entrepreneurial Alliance, Robeson Community College, BioNetwork BioAgricultural Center, and Robeson Cooperative Extension Center to initiate a county-wide entrepreneurial training and support network to create and expand sustainable agricultural based businesses (specialty crops, local foods, organics, heirloom, medicinal herbs and plants, culinary herbs and spices, value-added agricultural products, and agricultural tourism) in Robeson County.
Region: Robeson County
Timeline: July 2011-December 2012
From Entrepreneurship to Enterprises – A REAL Pathway
Funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation. This project is a comprehensive entrepreneurship education strategy that will improve the regional economy. The goals of this project are to improve students’ knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship; develop students understanding of the entrepreneurial pathway opportunities; expand community support for entrepreneurship in the region; and create business enterprises in the region. NC REAL will work with the community college, school systems, local governments, and economic developers in Surry and Yadkin counties to accomplish these outcomes.
Region: Surry and Yadkin Counties
Timeline: January 2012- December 2012
