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Featured photo: Spring 2026 Level Up graduates pose with their tool boxes. Photo by Rich Keen.
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The spring class of 2026 cohort of Level Up: Core Construction graduated on May 6 during a ceremony attended by instructors, family, friends, and peers. Level Up: Core Construction, a tuition-free accelerated workforce training program offered in partnership with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and Lowe’s, began in 2025 and has bolstered the construction workforce in Western North Carolina.
Held in the College’s Technology Education and Development Center, the ceremony recognized 15 dedicated individuals who completed the program.
During her opening remarks, Executive Vice President of Programs Dr. Connie Wolf emphasized the importance of construction in our community.
“Construction is more than a trade. It’s the work that quite literally shapes our communities. The roads we travel, the homes we live in, the schools, hospitals, and businesses we depend on—none of it exists without people who know how to plan, build, solve problems, and take pride in doing things the right way,” Wolfe said.
Program instructor and coordinator Jason Baxley congratulated the graduates on their dedication and hard work. He also invited some of the students to share their experience in the program. One student, Wing Ting Chan, shared that Level Up sparked her next steps in the industry; she recently began a program with Apprenticeship Blue Ridge and will soon start work with a local company.
This spring, Blue Ridge Community College has announced three additional tuition-free sessions of Level Up: Core Construction to meet the growing demand for skilled workers and to further support the region’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Thanks to the continued partnership with NCCER and Lowe’s, these sessions will remain free to participants.
- Session 7: Mondays & Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., June 8 – July 20, 2026,
- Session 8: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., June 9 – July 21, 2026
- Session 9: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., May 19 – July 30, 2026, Exempt Date(s): 7/2/26
To learn more about Level Up: Core Construction or to apply for an upcoming session, interested community members may visit www.blueridge.edu/level-up or call 828-694-1735.
Graduates included:
April Chagala
Luis Chagala
Ethan Emery
Armando Andrade
Wing Ting Chan
Brayden Childress
Michael Delmar
Cesar Garcia
Dominic Gibbs
Toni Jarvinen
Jacob Justice
Joshua Justice
Taylor McGinnis
Gabriel Ortiz
Douglas Smather