Victoria Rose

Victoria Rose, a 2021 ACC graduate, became the first female apprentice to complete the Alamance Career Accelerator Program (CAP) while gaining work experience and a paycheck. Victoria achieved three key milestones while she matriculated through the program: she earned an Associate in Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering Technology after four debt-free years; she has a guaranteed fulltime job with Engineered Controls International (ECI), LLC, in Whitsett, NC; and she earned a Journeyman Certificate from the NC Department of Commerce.

The Career Accelerator Program (CAP) allows qualified high school students to attend ACC part-time, work part-time, and graduate after four years debt-free with an associate degree and a guaranteed full-time job.

CAP graduates complete approximately 8,000 hours, comprised of 6400 hours working as apprentices and 1600 hours learning in class. All tuition, books, and fees for the associate’s degree program are covered, so the students graduate debt-free. Alamance CAP is recognized by the State of North Carolina as a registered apprenticeship program.

Victoria Rose, a Cummings High graduate, had long aspired to become an engineer. The existence of the Career Accelerator Program convinced her to enroll in ACC’s Mechatronics Engineering program. Victoria’s apprenticeship—and now a full-time job—took her to ECI in Whitsett where she is responsible for quality control.

Over the past four years, Victoria learned to navigate job responsibilities while earning a degree, discovering new skills while improving on others. “I definitely have more confidence and better communication skills,” she said. Victoria Rose has a solid future ahead but she is not finished with her education. “I plan to come back to ACC to earn my degree in Computer-Integrated Machining,” she said. “It’s a win-win situation.”