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Dr. Stephen Athans, Dean of Vocational and Technical Programs at Central Carolina Community College, recently accepted the 2014 Governor's Award for Excellence in Workforce Development as an "Outstanding Innovative Partnership" on behalf of the Caterpillar Registered Youth Apprenticeship Program. The program is a partnership that includes the college, Lee County Schools, Caterpillar's Sanford plant and the N.C. Dept. of Commerce (NCWorks). The Caterpillar Youth Apprentice Program in welding was developed by, and is a partnership among, Caterpillar, CCCC, Lee County Schools, and the N.C. Department of Labor. The goal of the program is to train high school students through their junior and senior years for critical, high-demand, well-paying careers in welding, as well as to help provide the skilled workforce Caterpillar and other modern industries need. The students continue their high school studies during their junior and senior years while taking welding and manufacturing-related classes. They train at CCCC's Lee County Campus or its Industry Training Center at the Lee County Innovation Center three days a week and work/train at Caterpillar two days per week.