Blue Ridge Community College Celebrates Graduates of 'Level Up: Core Construction' Program
Jan 09, 2026 08:08AM ● By WNC Business
Graduates of Level Up: Core Construction pose together at graduation. Left to right: Bailey Sommer, Manuel Toral Rodriquez, Jaydon London, Titus Morris, Wilfrido Aguillon, Andrew Lunceford, Wyatt Beddingfield, Xavier Buckner, Adeep Sully-Grover, Tristen Guzman, Erick Muniz, Pablo Perez Garcia, Ha Linh, Jonathan Martinez, Oscar Lozez Hernandez, and Jonathan Cruz. (Photo by Rich Keen)
Blue Ridge Community College recently celebrated the graduation of the most recent cohort of Level Up: Core Construction, a tuition-free accelerated workforce training program offered in partnership with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) with funding from Lowe’s.
The event took place in the Technology Education and Development Center on the Henderson County Campus, in the presence of Blue Ridge faculty, staff, leaders, community members, and families.
The ceremony recognized 18 dedicated individuals who completed the program designed to support Western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene by preparing participants for immediate employment in the construction industry.
The program began in April 2025.
Program instructor and coordinator Jason Baxley said he is proud of the students and their hard work.
“These students have taken transformative steps toward thriving careers in the skilled trades industry,” he said.
In addition to Level Up, Blue Ridge Community College offers a robust set of training opportunities in the skilled trades throughout the year, as well as apprenticeships and workforce continuing education courses. Programs include welding, electrical, plumbing, masonry, building and construction trades, and more. The College is currently enrolling for the spring semester that begins Jan. 12, 2026.
More information about Level Up: Core Construction is available at www.blueridge.edu/level-up.