Former GlaxoSmithKline CEO and Chairman Robert Ingram feels that North Carolina Community College graduates are well-prepared for the state’s ever-growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing job market.

Ingram explains that this was an integral factor in Glaxo’s decision to site and grow their Zebulon, NC production facility. He notes that schools like Wake Technical Community College consistently produce a steady stream of uniquely talented graduates with in-demand skills as knowledge-based workers. “It’s an incredibly important asset for a life-science company to have,” he concludes.

58	Number of public community colleges in North Carolina
1957	Year the North Carolina General Assembly began supporting community colleges
850,000+	Number of students served annually across North Carolina
1 in 9	Chance that a North Carolinian over age of 18 is enrolled in a community college
40	Percentage of NC workers who attended community college in the past decade
35+	Percent change in technical education enrollment since 2007-08
29,299	Number of students receiving customized, company-specific job training through North Carolina Community Colleges last year
88	Companies served by the Community College System’s BioNetwork * in the past year
1325	Number of students receiving BioNetwork* training in the past year

_{* http://www.ncbionetwork.org/}