Leaders from Cumberland County, the City of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), and the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC) completed a fact-finding visit to Huntsville, Alabama on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. The goal was to explore innovative education industry partnerships that could help develop a next-generation workforce pipeline in the Fayetteville region.
The delegation included Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk deViere, City of Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, FCEDC President and CEO Robert Van Geons, and FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells. They toured the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) and met with leaders from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
“FTCC is the workforce engine for the talent pipeline in Cumberland County and the Sandhills region,” said FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells in a press release. “The College is committed to expanding that pipeline into middle and high schools, and the ASCTE model offers an innovative approach that aligns with the workforce ecosystem we’ve built in cybersecurity and are continuing to develop in healthcare, construction trades, manufacturing and other high-demand fields. This model strengthens our ability to accelerate students from the classroom into meaningful employment in defense and emerging technology sectors.”…