Manufacturing Open House scheduled for April 8 at BCCC | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

    The latest in equipment and training for careers in advanced manufacturing will be on display to the public at Beaufort County Community College Tuesday, April 8, as part of Advanced Manufacturing Awareness Week.

    The Open House is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Building 4 on the BCCC campus. It is free of charge to the public.

    Following the Open House, attendees will have the chance to tour PAS, USA, Inc., a local industry, to see advanced manufacturing techniques at work on the factory floor.

    The event will give participants the chance to learn about programs offering technical certificates, diplomas, and degrees, as well as educational pathways linking high schools, community colleges, and universities with the world of work, according to BCCC President Barbara Tansey.

    "With shifts in the labor market and a greater emphasis on technical degrees, BCCC is collaborating with local manufacturers across the region to present this event," Tansey said. "I hope that prospective students, economic development leaders and others interested in the new world of manufacturing will take the opportunity to learn how BCCC can prepare our area residents for some of the emerging careers in manufacturing."

    Other events during the week include tours by area middle and high school students of BCCC Industrial Technology programs, a career fair, Free Day at BCCC and tours by BCCC students of local industries.

    Programs at BCCC have been updated to prepare students for these emerging careers thanks to a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The grant was awarded to 10 community colleges that formed the North Carolina Advanced Manufacturing Alliance.

    As a member of that alliance, BCCC was awarded $2.2 million over a three-year period that includes funding for equipment to upgrade its electrical, machining and welding programs, among others, to meet industry needs.

    According to N.C. Employment Security Commission job projection data developed in 2006, manufacturing jobs in chemical, computer and electronics, food, metal and transportation equipment products are forecast to make gains annually through 2016.

    For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing Open House, interested persons may visit the BCCC website at www.beaufortccc.edu or contact Darwin Richards, project coordinator for the N.C. Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, at 252-940-6239 or darwinr@beaufortccc.edu or Sara Singleton, grant writer and special projects coordinator, at 252-940-6271 or saras@beaufortccc.edu.
Beaufort County Community College Instructor Matthew Lincoln reviews the workings of a HAAS computer numerical controlled lathe with BCCC student Christy Smith in the college's Industrial Technology Building. The lathe will be on display during an April 8 Open House at BCCC that highlights training for careers in advanced manufacturing and industrial technology.


    Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.