HENDERSON, NC (August 21, 2026) — A grassy field along a rural highway may seem like an unlikely place to mark the beginning of a new academic year. For Vance-Granville Community College, however, the field represents something much bigger: a future training center designed to connect students with in-demand careers and create new opportunities in Warren County and beyond.

On the first day of the fall semester, while students were settling into classrooms and looking to the year ahead, VGCC leaders were looking further into the future. They gathered at the future site of the Transportation Training & Technology Center (TTTC) in Soul City to recognize the progress already made toward bringing the project to life.

Representatives of the College’s Executive Team and Board Chair Xavier L. Wortham joined officials from Warren County Government, Warren County Schools, and members of the community at the site. Former NC House Rep. Michael Wray was also in attendance; during his time representing District 27, Wray worked to secure funding to support the planned facility.

The approximately 11,000-gross-square-foot Transportation Training & Technology Center will bring several workforce training opportunities together under one roof, including CDL Truck Driver Training, Heavy Equipment Operations, and a new Diesel & Heavy Equipment Mechanics program.

The location is intentional. Situated in Soul City, one of North Carolina’s most historically underserved communities, the Center is envisioned as more than a place to train workers. It will create accessible pathways into skilled, potentially high-wage careers while helping residents build skills that can lead to greater economic stability for themselves and their families.

For Warren County and the surrounding region, the Center also represents an investment in the workforce that supports transportation, construction, logistics, and other industries. By bringing specialized training closer to the communities it serves, Vance-Granville Community College aims to help students turn workforce training into long-term career opportunities.

The vision is moving forward, but there is still work to be done. VGCC is currently fundraising for the TTTC while simultaneously advancing another major expansion project, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology. Additional support will help move the Transportation Training & Technology Center into its design phase and bring the project closer to an official groundbreaking.

For now the site remains a grassy field along the highway, but that landscape will look very different in the not-to-distant future—filled with students learning the skills that can help drive the future of Warren County and the region.

To learn more about the Transportation Training & Technology Center or become a supporter of the project, contact The VGCC Foundation at 252-738-3264.

HENDERSON, NC (August 14, 2026) — When Vance-Granville Community College students step onto its Vance County campus this August, they will be continuing a tradition that began 50 years ago.

The institution originally known as Vance County Technical Institute (VCTI) was officially established by the NC General Assembly in September 1969, but establishment did not automatically come with a place to call home. The VCTI Board of Trustees quickly secured use of the old Maria Parham Hospital building in downtown Henderson, but even as VCTI classes started at that facility in 1970, it was apparent that student demand would soon outgrow the space.

By December 1971—just four months after VCTI held its first complete graduation—the VCTI Board already had architectural renderings for a permanent campus. By 1972, the Granville County and Vance County Boards of Commissioners had formed a joint plan to fund and build the original four-building campus. By 1974, developers were breaking ground at the site off Poplar Creek Road. Even through economic challenges of the time, construction continued. The institution was ready to open the doors of its first permanent campus by the fall of 1976, complete with a new name that reflected its foundation of regional collaboration.

Vance-Granville Community College has come a long way since August 1976: from just four buildings on one plot of land, to nearly 20 buildings across four counties and new expansion projects on the horizon. As the College reflects on its history, we remember the many individuals and organizations of our surrounding communities who have supported our growth over the last half century. You are a crucial part of our story even if you have never been one of our students—thank you. Let's keep building the future together!

Additional history concerning the establishment of the College and its four campuses may be found in the book Vance-Granville Community College: The First Thirty Years (1999), written by Jan Pogue and developed/produced by Bookhouse Group, Inc. For more information, contact VGCC Library Services.

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Photo caption: Groundbreaking for Main Campus, 1974. Board Chairman Charles Blackburn and Terry Sanford, then president of Duke University, hold shovels. Behind them from left: Dr. Donald R. Mohorn, first VGCC president; Vance County school board member John Rainey; trustee Arthur Poole; Granville County Commissioner Henry Currin; and trustee Bobby Rogers.

About Vance-Granville Community College: Your community, your college. Since its founding in 1969, Vance-Granville Community College has proudly educated, inspired, and supported a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success. VGCC offers 40+ Curriculum programs, as well as short-term Continuing Education, High School Equivalency, and Adult High School Diploma programs. Located in North Carolina's Triangle region, VGCC serves the counties of Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren, and beyond! For the latest college news, visit www.vgcc.edu or follow Vance-Granville on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Contact: Courtney Cissel, Public Information Officer cisselc@vgcc.edu • 252-738-3484

GRANVILLE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Granville County Economic Development and Vance-Granville Community College have partnered to offer a Business Loan Readiness Workshop. Attendees will learn what lenders look for and how to prepare for the loan application process. Date: Monday, August 24 Time: 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Vance-Granville Community College Entrepreneurship Center (1547 S. Campus Drive, Creedmoor) Clem Seifert, Eastern North Carolina Business Lender with Partner Community Capital, will share practical information on preparing for a business loan, what lenders consider when reviewing applications, and ways to improve your loan readiness. The information is helpful whether you're applying through Partner Community Capital or another lender.

The workshop will also feature a brief overview from Carolyn Perry, Director of the VGCC Small Business Center, about the free business counseling, training, and resources available to help entrepreneurs, followed by a Q&A session.

Register for the class at this link: https://45810536.hs-sites.com/registration-page For assistance, contact Economic Development Program Manager Stephanie Velazquez at stephanie.velazquez@granvillecounty.org or 919-693-5911.
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