North Carolina PHCC - Rising Leaders Program
Program Overview:
The North Carolina PHCC Rising Leaders program is designed to encourage, educate, and promote new generations of trade and industry leaders. Over the course of a year, participants work through a series of leadership courses, connect with mentors, and take an active role in helping others advance in the industry. Upon completion, participants will be able to promote leadership among their peers and coworkers, will have a working knowledge of how PHCC operates, and will have the opportunity to work with leadership at the local level.
New for 2027: The program is now delivered as an online course through PHCC National, making it available to PHCC states nationwide. North Carolina participants complete this curriculum alongside NC-specific discussions, mentorship, and extracurricular activities.
Discover how the PHCC Rising Leaders program is shaping the future of our industry. Watch to get inspired!
Applications open October 1, 2026, and are due December 11, 2026.
Foundation:Â
1-year program
- Runs January to November 2027 and includes eight online course modules, monthly virtual discussion sessions, and four in-person board meetings
- Extras include career fairs and local chapter meetings
- Enrollment is limited to eight participants for 2027
Mentorship and leadership opportunities
Upon completion of the program, candidates play an important role in helping others become successful while also fine-tuning their own leadership qualities. Opportunities to mentor the next cohort of Rising Leaders, serve on committees, and support local chapters will be presented to help further develop leadership skills.
Participation Expectations
- Attend at least 75% of the four in-person board meetings (three of four). Participants must communicate any absence to the program team.
- Complete each monthly course module and join the group discussion. Attendance is tracked with the checklist in your participant packet.
- Attend the two supplemental classes, which will be scheduled soon.
- Complete at least two extracurricular activities (career fair, local chapter meeting, or other volunteer work).
Application Process
Enrollment is capped at eight participants for 2027.
Employer identifies the individual for enrollment.
Candidates should be committed to the industry and able to find value in leadership training. They should be of good character and display confidence, organization, trustworthiness, and punctuality, and they should be capable of setting a positive example for others in the industry. The employer must be a PHCC of North Carolina member.
Application
The employer sponsor completes the application, accompanied by a letter of intent from the Rising Leader candidate describing what makes them a unique candidate and what they hope to get out of the program. Applications must be submitted no later than December 11, 2026.
Application Review
The Auxiliary and Rising Leaders Committee confirms that each application is complete and includes a letter of intent. Applications will be approved or waitlisted by December 18, 2026.
Acceptance Letters
Letters will be emailed on December 21, 2026, to Rising Leaders and their corresponding sponsors and employers. The orientation date and education schedule will follow as soon as they are confirmed.
Wait-list
Due to the program cap, waitlisted individuals will take priority during the next enrollment period. During the application process, we will contact waitlisted individuals to confirm their desire to enroll the following year.
Orientation
Orientation will be held before coursework begins in January. The date is to be announced, and accepted participants will be notified as soon as it is set. PHCC of NC hosts the orientation and will walk through the schedule of events in detail and learn the needs and goals of each Rising Leader. Participants will also receive information on the code of ethics, mentor expectations, contact information, and any other relevant details.
Rising Leaders Classes (Required)
The eight required modules are delivered through PHCC's national online course, one per month. Participants complete each module independently, then meet for a group discussion.
Time Management
Learners develop personal productivity habits by understanding their relationship with time, setting SMART goals, building planning systems, and managing energy alongside tasks.
Conflict Resolution
Learners build skills to navigate disagreement constructively, from understanding what drives conflict to applying negotiation strategies and de-escalation techniques in professional and digital settings.
Motivation
Learners explore the science of motivation, what drives consistent action, how mindset and identity shape behavior, and how to overcome procrastination through discipline and habit design.
Problem Solving
Learners develop a structured approach to identifying, analyzing, and solving problems using critical and creative thinking, root cause analysis, and evidence-based decision-making.
Communication
Learners master the full communication toolkit, from foundational principles and active listening to interpersonal, digital, and persuasive communication strategies built for trade environments.
Teamwork
Learners examine what makes teams succeed, covering team dynamics, trust-building, collaborative decision-making, accountability, and coaching, and apply these skills in real workplace scenarios.
Leading vs. Managing
Learners distinguish leadership from management and learn to apply both effectively in the trades, covering core management skills, workforce development, and creating personal growth plans.
Project Planning
Learners gain practical project management skills tailored to trade work, from defining projects and building schedules to managing budgets, resources, risk, and quality from start to closeout.
Supplemental Classes
Two supplemental classes will round out the program and will be scheduled soon.
Extracurricular Activities
(Two a year)
Local Chapter Attendance
Collaboration is important to personal success. Students may attend a PHCC local chapter event with their mentor or on their own to speak with other members about their own leadership journey. Local chapters meet a minimum of four times a year in Wilmington, Raleigh, Charlotte, the Triad, WNC, and Fayetteville.
Career Fairs
Schools no longer promote our industries, so the best way for students to learn about them is through people who were in their place only a few years ago. Rising Leaders have the opportunity to participate alongside the Education team at local career fairs, where they can promote the trades and further develop their recruitment skills.
Standards
Ethics
Rising Leaders must sign a code of ethics each year. The code covers attendance and behavior, prohibits discussion of costs, jobs, or materials, prohibits discussion of employment or salaries, and prohibits recruitment of other Rising Leaders.
Costs
$2,500 annual fee per Rising Leader as shown in the State Budget. This fee is waived for the employer of the student. There is no monetary cost to the individual or employer.
Waitlist
Priority is given to those who have been waitlisted.
Qualifications
Race, sex, and age will not be considered during the acceptance process.
Failure to Complete
Failure to complete or dropping out of the program will exclude the participant from future enrollment unless the board deems the reason for leaving excused, such as medical reasons or military service. Participants are also required to sign a Participant Responsibility Agreement outlining their financial responsibility if they do not complete the program as required.
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