State Grant Expands Triad EMT and Paramedic Training

Prospective EMT and paramedic students in the Triad can look for new local courses at Asheboro and Archdale beginning in June 2027.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Aid

Empty emergency-medical training bay with a plain stretcher beside a bare cream wall, daylight from tall windows, and a wooded hill through a glass door. — Randolph Community College received a $250,000 state grant approved October 16, 2025, to expand advanced EMT and paramedic training at its Asheboro and Archdale campuses. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Randolph Community College received a $250,000 state grant to expand advanced emergency medical training, approved by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges on October 16, 2025. The expanded courses will be offered at the college's Asheboro and Archdale locations for students seeking EMT and paramedic careers.

Why it matters

The grant targets a documented shortage of emergency medical professionals in the Triad region, where labor market data identified 66 annual openings for EMTs and paramedics across six counties. For students, it means a closer, lower-cost path into a certification-based career, with training that builds from an Advanced EMT course toward paramedic credentials.

The $250,000 grant is part of a statewide allocation of nearly $3.9 million supporting 13 new workforce programs across 15 community colleges. The college is contributing a $25,000 non-state match, and the regional labor data cited 66 annual openings for EMTs and paramedics across six Triad counties.

The players

Randolph Community College

A North Carolina community college serving the Triad region, offering low-cost certificate and degree programs in workforce fields including emergency medical training.

North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges

The state body that oversees North Carolina's 58 community colleges and approved the workforce grant funding.

The details

Randolph Community College's application included labor market data showing regional demand for emergency medical workers, which helped secure the state award. The funds will cover faculty development, accreditation, student certification, and specialized simulation and instructional equipment. The new offerings include an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Initial course and an AEMT-to-Paramedic Bridge, which together create a sequence for students moving up the certification ladder. The training is expected to be offered at the college's Asheboro and Archdale locations.

October 16, 2025: The State Board of Community Colleges approved the grant.
June 2027: Expanded training is expected to begin at the Asheboro and Archdale locations.

Education Landscape

High-cost workforce programs such as emergency medical training are expensive to run because they require specialized simulation equipment and accredited faculty. This grant places North Carolina's community colleges among the state-funded providers that help offset those costs.

Prospective EMT and paramedic students in the Triad area may find new in-region options at the Asheboro and Archdale campuses starting in June 2027. Students interested in these programs should ask the college's financial-aid office which costs and awards apply to the new certificate courses.

The takeaway

State workforce grants can expand local options for career training that carries modest tuition and clear certification paths. Before enrolling, ask the college's financial-aid office what aid and grants may apply to the new emergency medical courses.