Workforce & Training
Whatever your industry may be, Moore County has an adaptable workforce and a variety of local training resources to meet your industry’s workforce needs today and in the future.
Moore County has a civilian workforce of over 40,000 strong.
These are job-ready workers with the skills and work ethic to meet your workforce needs. Ninety-one percent (91.2%) of Moore County’s population aged 25 years and older has a high school diploma, and 39.2% has a bachelor’s or higher degree (Census ACS 2019 estimate).
Thanks to Moore County’s adjacent proximity to Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, and Camp Mackall, our workforce is enhanced by separated and retired military personnel who call Moore County home and can offer employers their unique skills, valuable experience and diverse backgrounds. Our workforce is further strengthened by the civilian spouses of our military residents.
In addition, Moore County draws workers from many of the surrounding counties. Over 19,950 nonresidents commuted to jobs here in 2018 (Census OnTheMap).
We work closely with the Moore County NCWorks Career Center and Sandhills Community College to help new and expanding industries find the right employees. We also have access to a network of economic, education and workforce development organizations, including the state’s Department of Commerce, community college system, and state universities, that can help companies create customized training programs for new and existing employees. This assistance can include initial employee recruitment, personalized screening, pre-employment training, and company-specific training.
Workforce
Employment for Selected Private-Sector Industries – 2021:
| Industry Sector | # Employed | % to Total | Average Weekly Wage |
| Total Private Industries | 31,323 | 100% | $931 |
| Healthcare | 9,103 | 29.1% | $1,222 |
| Leisure & Hospitality* | 6,163 | 19.7% | $471 |
| Retail | 4,681 | 14.9% | $630 |
| Services^ | 2,705 | 8.6% | $1,336 |
| Manufacturing | 1,751 | 5.6% | $929 |
| Construction | 1,629 | 5.2% | $1,029 |
| Agriculture | not provided | — | not provided |
*Leisure & Hospitality combines Arts, Entertainment & Recreation and Accommodation & Food Services.
^Services combines Information, Finance & Insurance, Real Estate, and Professional & Technical Services.
Source: NCDOC Labor & Economic Analysis Division, D4 System – Quarterly Census Employment & Wages
Employment Data:
| MONTH | LABOR FORCE | EMPLOYED | UNEMPLOYED | UNEMP. RATE % |
| NOVEMBER 2022 | 40,998 | 39,458 | 1,540 | 3.8% |
Source: NCDOC Labor & Economic Analysis Division, D4 System – Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Not seasonally adjusted)
Employee Recruitment
Moore County NCWorks Career Center
Moore County’s NCWorks Career Center helps local businesses find the skilled employees needed to fill job vacancies. The Career Center’s services are free of charge and include assistance with:
- Job awareness & outreach
- Local labor market data
- Job opening postings
- Job applicant screening
- Coordinating job fairs and onsite recruitment
- Space to conduct job interviews
- Employee training resources
NCWorks Online
North Carolina’s official job search website NCWorks.gov enables employers to search for candidates based on their skills, work experience, and resumes. NCWorks also provides businesses with real-time labor market information and can help identify local worker training programs.
For more information about the Moore County NCWorks Career Center & NCWorks.gov, contact:
Moore County NCWorks Career Center
Regina Smalls, Interim Director
245 Shepherd Trail
Aberdeen, NC 28315
910-695-3769
Email: regina.smalls@nccommerce.com
Training
Sandhills Community College Trades Programs
Through SCC’s Division of Continuing Education, advanced manufacturing/trades courses are offered on campus in the Palmer Trades Center. These courses include National Center for Construction and Research (NCCER) Electrical Apprenticeship programs, NCCER welding courses, and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician training program. The college is currently working to expand these offerings further to add an Automation Technician training program that will include basic electrical/electronics, PLC, and advanced PLC courses.
Customized Training Program
Through the North Carolina Community College Customized Training Program, eligible companies that meet the required criteria can receive free and customized job training at the worksite, on the community college campus, or at another location for any full-time production, technology support, or direct customer service positions created in North Carolina. Services provided include training assessment, coursework design, training delivery, and related instructional costs.
Companies eligible for this program include manufacturers, technology-intensive operations, regional or national warehousing and distribution centers, customer support centers, air courier services or national headquarters with operations outside North Carolina.
In Moore County, the Customized Training Program is administered by Sandhills Community College.
The College also offers other industry training and assistance such as:
- Training needs assessment and development of customized training plans
- Individual course development, staffing and delivery of customized courses
- Job profiling and workplace assessments including workforce credentialing assessments such as the Career Readiness Certificate (using WorkKeys assessments)
For more information about the Customized Training & Industry Support Programs, contact:
Sandhills Community College – Trades & Business Support Programs
Jared Little, Director
910-695-3925
Email: littlej@sandhills.edu