Richard Craver
Reynolds American Inc.’s transition from a predominant traditional cigarette manufacturer to emphasizing smokeless nicotine and tobacco products has come with an unexpected — but welcomed — uptick in its local workforce.
Growing demand for the several styles of top-selling U.S. electronic cigarette Vuse has Reynolds at more than 2,200 employees locally when counting Tobaccoville operations and its downtown Winston-Salem U.S. headquarters.
That’s just more than half of its 4,300 employees overall and up 300 since October 2024 when it announced the manufacturing of synthetic nicotine Velo Plus in Tobaccoville.
Hiring and training the next wave of production workers, with the expectation of identifying floor leaders and supervisors, has led Reynolds to collaborate with Forsyth Technical Community College on what is being branded as the Future-Ready Workforce Alliance.
The alliance will address the gap “by offering fast, targeted training programs aligned with the needs of the region’s most critical industries, including health sciences, transportation and logistics, advanced manufacturing and technology.
“Through the Alliance, students, jobseekers and current employees will have access to customized, flexible education pathways that combine classroom learning with real-world experience,” according to Forsyth Tech marketing material.
“This approach allows participants to start working quickly, continue their education while employed and advance their careers over time.
“Employers benefit by developing and retaining a skilled, reliable workforce — a solution designed to meet the evolving needs of business and industry.”
The initiative is scheduled to commence in March at the Tobaccoville plant.
“At Reynolds, we believe that investing in people is the key to building stronger businesses and more resilient communities,” said Shay Mustafa, Reynolds’ chief communications officer.
“As the founding partner, we’re taking action to shape the future of work and strengthen our region’s talent pipeline.”
Alliance’s mission
The alliance is a collaborative effort uniting education, business, and community partners to tackle one of the region’s most urgent challenges — the shortage of skilled workers.
Forsyth Tech said nearly half of adults ages 25 to 44 in Forsyth and Stokes counties lack a degree or credential, which limits their access to higher-wage jobs and impacting the ability of local employers to grow.
“We’re investing in the next generation of leaders from within our own workforce,” Reynolds said.
“Selected production associates who consistently display our company values and demonstrate the dedication and ambition to grow will be invited to take part in the yearlong development program.”
Reynolds said the program commitment will be “seamlessly integrated” into selected employees’ work schedules.
Participants will work alongside supervisors and senior leaders, “gaining hands-on experience in leading teams, solving challenges and driving performance.
“The structure is intentional with 70% to 80% of the learnings will happen on the factory floor in real time, while 20% to 30% will be delivered through focused classroom sessions that reinforce the theory behind the practice,” Reynolds said.
Forsyth Tech said the alliance overall represents an attempt to “close the skills gap, prepare workers for in-demand jobs and strengthen the economy in Forsyth and Stokes counties in particular, but also across the Triad.
Forsyth Tech plans to customize the offerings to the corporate partner while combining classroom learning with real-world experience.
“This approach allows participants to start working quickly, continue their education while employed, and advance their careers over time,” Forsyth Tech said.
“Employers benefit by developing and retaining a skilled, reliable workforce — a solution designed to meet the evolving needs of business and industry.
Janet Springs, Forsyth Tech’s president, touts that the alliance “will unlock potential and help people change the trajectory of their lives while giving employers a reliable, work-ready talent pipeline.”
“We are grateful to Reynolds American for serving as our founding partner and helping make this vision a reality.”
By prioritizing educational attainment and economic mobility, the alliance enhances workplace benefits at Reynolds and opportunities for employees to learn and grow with the company, said Mark Owens, president and chief executive of Greater Winston-Salem Inc.
“With this initiative, Reynolds American Inc. and Forsyth Tech are setting an example that innovative and collaborative solutions can set us apart and provide benefits to employers, workers and job seekers, and the community as a whole.
For more information about the alliance, go to https://www.forsythtech.edu/futureready.
Analysts’ thoughts
Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi, an economics professor at Winston-Salem State University, said the alliance represents the “types of initiatives and collaborations between business and education that are needed as we move into the age of artificial intelligence and robotics.”
“Education needs to be more flexible and businesses need to be ready to assist educational institutions in preparing students for the types of job opportunities that today’s youth need.”
Meanwhile, Madjd-Sadjadi said there is “the question as to whether the specific skill sets that will be taught and learned are general enough to allow for students to have a choice between employers.”
“If the knowledge acquired is too company- or even industry-specific, it can prove difficult for individuals to adapt to an ever-changing workforce landscape.”
Getting policymakers to “walk the talk” when it comes to funding and supporting community colleges will be pivotal to the success rate of initiatives such as the alliance, said John Quinterno, principal with South by North Strategies Ltd., a Chapel Hill research company specializing in economic and social policy.
“This alliance is a reminder of the value of the intersection between community college education and regional economic development,” Quinterno said.
“As with any collaborative effort, the devil is in the details, but if well-designed and well-run, this model could have a meaningful impact in the local impact. Many states don’t provide the resources needed to help promising initiatives like this one grow or be adapted to other communities, thereby limiting impact.
“Their reproducibility also often hinges on very local factors, such as the presence of a committed local industry partner or philanthropic entity,” Quinterno said.
Michael Walden, a retired economics professor at N.C. State University, said the alliance could play a role in helping local companies better manage the arrival and evolution of artificial intelligence on their business.
“I predict many occupations will be unrecognizable in a couple of decades due to the impact of AI and the restructuring of tasks and jobs,” Walden said.
“If this group will focus on these coming changes and help implement the necessary restructuring in training so individuals will have the skills to succeed in our new AI world, then it will be a model for similar efforts needed across the state.”
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