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CHARLOTTE -- Beginning this fall, Central Piedmont Community College will offer advanced manufacturing training certified by German industries. It is a unique partnership that the college said would make Charlotte a hub for high-tech jobs.

Dr. Tony Zeiss, CPCC's president, signed an agreement Tuesday with IHK Karlsruhe, a German chamber of industry and commerce, to allow the college to offer IHK-certified advanced manufacturing training.

It is first first such arrangement in the United States.

"We are a career college," Zeiss said. "We are focused on becoming the leading college in the nation for workforce development."

IHK chief executive Hans-Peter Mengele said the partnership would benefit German companies around the world, but particularly those in North Carolina.

"The German industry is doing very, very well worldwide," he said.

The agreement give German firms access to highly-trained workers who can meet the same exacting standards required in Europe.

"This happened because we found the best partners here [in Charlotte]," Mengele said.

CPCC students gain a competitive advantage in five different advanced manufacturing fields, including pneumatics technology and energy management.

"We have to have the skill levels in order to attract those jobs. Those are the best jobs," Zeiss said.

There are approximately 500 German companies with facilities in the Carolinas, according to the Charlotte Chamber. Nearly half of those firms are located in the greater Charlotte area.

The chamber said this agreement will be be a huge boost to the region and another jewel in the city's crown.

"I think what we have to announce today is nothing short of a workforce development coup," said Frank Emory, chairman of the Charlotte Chamber.

Most CPCC students should be able to earn the IHK certificate in one semester. Some Charlotte employers said they will have jobs waiting for workers who earn these specialized credentials.