This content first appeared in Economy & Business 2026. Click here to view the full publication.

By Dr. Scott Ralls, Wake Tech Community College

With enrollment on the rise, Wake Tech’s commitment to student success and workforce development has never been stronger. We proudly serve more than 72,000 students each year, empowering them to
grow professionally and personally, while fueling a dependable talent pipeline for local industries.

Our four-year Reach and Rally Strategic Plan wrapped up in 2025 with impressive, encouraging results: We’ve reached a significantly higher percentage of students from economically disadvantaged communities, we achieved the highest retention rates in the college’s history, and we established numerous employer and university partnerships including over 160 apprenticeship partnerships. We are now embarking on the second phase of our plan, to go even further in fostering economic mobility.

One of the ways we’re accomplishing our goal of reaching more students is through strategic, thoughtful
expansion. Hundreds of students now attend class at our newest location, the Eastern Wake Campus in Wendell. Opportunities at this state-of-the art campus will continue to grow when our Advanced Technology Center opens this year. This technology-forward facility will become the home of our Biotechnology/Bioprocess Manufacturing Technology degree program, and will feature automation, mechatronics, robotics, and other specialized equipment to prepare skilled technicians for biopharma and emerging industries. We’re also opening a unique Fire and Rescue Training Complex with two towers to prepare first responders for high-rise scenarios and hazardous materials emergencies.

We’re also expanding our efforts to prepare more health care professionals to meet the needs of our growing community. A major expansion at our Perry Health Sciences Campus is underway, where construction has begun on a state-of-the-art Simulation Hospital. This facility will provide health care workers with hands-on, interdisciplinary training in a realistic, fully immersive environment. From the check-in desk to diagnostic testing, a simulated nursing center and operating room, students will gain experience across the full continuum of care, helping to strengthen the pipeline of skilled technicians in our region. Wake Tech’s partnerships with local hospitals and health care providers, as well as government and industry organizations and individual benefactors are making this exciting project possible. Partnerships are essential to advancing our mission, and we are committed to both strengthening existing collaborations and forging new ones. Together, we can develop a robust talent pipeline to strengthen our region’s economy, while creating greater opportunities for economic mobility for the people who call it home.

“Wake Tech is committed to serving the higher education and workforce training needs of our community by reaching students across Wake County and rallying around them with the support they need to succeed –
not only in college, but in their careers and beyond.”

– Dr. Scott Ralls, President, Wake Tech Community College