N.C. Workforce Leader Tapped for National Committee Shaping New Workforce Pell Program

Dr. Andrea DeSantis, Assistant Secretary for Workforce Solutions at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to help shape one of the most significant federal workforce training reforms in years. Serving as an alternate negotiator representing State Workforce Agencies and Workforce Development Boards on the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven (AHEAD) Workforce Pell Committee, Dr. DeSantis is helping guide the national rulemaking process for implementing the new Workforce Pell grants. The committee began meeting this week in Washington, D.C., bringing together experts from across the country to influence how the program is rolled out.

“North Carolina has a seat at the table for Workforce Pell, which is poised to empower our students and workers with the skills and credentials they need,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Assistant Secretary DeSantis brings valuable expertise in workforce education and innovative partnerships to this important task.”

The new Workforce Pell program is set to help students across the country take advantage of additional career training opportunities. This long-awaited funding stream represents a significant step in workforce development, allowing learners who qualify for federal Pell grants to leverage the aid for shorter-term training options that are eight to 15 weeks in duration. Eligible programs must, among other requirements, align with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors and count toward academic credit for a certificate or degree program. The negotiated rulemaking process is crucial for hashing out complex details, such as which programs will qualify for Workforce Pell and how to meet employers' needs and developing a framework for accountability.

DeSantis is the only North Carolina representative in the negotiations and is the only head of a state workforce agency. She serves as an alternate for Rachael Stephens Parker, Executive Director for the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Development Board. Other negotiators represent groups that include students, employers, and institutions of higher education. Alternates ensure that the voices of all stakeholders can be heard, even if the primary representative has a conflict.

“Assistant Secretary DeSantis is a national leader in workforce development, and her engagement in this national rulemaking process will make Workforce Pell more effective,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Many of the most in-demand jobs require short-term training or credentialing, and Workforce Pell will allow people to access, like never before, those valued training opportunities that lead to great careers.”

DeSantis has served as Assistant Secretary since 2024, leading the Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS), which administers certain federal programs and partners with local workforce development boards to support the network of NCWorks Career Centers. She also represents Secretary Lilley on the NCWorks Commission and serves on the N.C. Workforce Credentials Advisory Council.

DeSantis previously served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Roy Cooper, where she focused on issues of workforce development and higher education, as a Senior Workforce Development Analyst at the NCWorks Commission, and as the Assistant Director of Research at NC State University’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Charleston, a Master of Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in Educational, Leadership, Policy, and Human Development from N.C. State University.

Governor Stein recently directed the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships to make recommendations to effectively implement the newly created Workforce Pell grants in North Carolina. The Council, an advisory body within the NCWorks Commission, seeks to expand access to good jobs with good wages by investing in apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities, securing more industry-valued credentials and degrees, and increasing engagement with employers, among other strategies.

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