NACC invites community to grand opening of new workforce development center

RAINSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) will hold a grand opening celebration for its new Workforce Development Skills Training Center on Thursday, Oct. 3.

The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. with NACC, local and state officials presiding. Breakfast will be provided at 9:30 a.m.

Notable guests include Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, Alabama Senator Steve Livingston, Alabama Representative Mike Kirkland and Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker.

Goodwin Mills Cawood are the architects on the project, with Cooper Construction being the primary contractor.

We are extremely excited about this event. This is a 55,000 square feet 30 million dollar technology project that will upgrade the workforce and economy in North Alabama. We at Northeast offer many career tech programs now, but we will expand them and offer even more with this facility. I can’t thank our Chancellor, Mr. Jimmy Baker, and our Legislators, particularly Speaker of the House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter, Alabama State Senator Steve Livingston, and Representative Mike Kirkland for their support of the financing for this building. Speaker Ledbetter and our legislative delegation were instrumental in securing the state funding for this project. Come out and celebrate with us.

NACC President Dr. David Campbell

The new workforce center has state-of-the-art laboratory space for programs centered around industrial systems maintenance, industrial electronics, precision machining, design and 3D modeling and building construction craft training.

Additionally, the center will have adaptable space that is flexible to interchange up to six programs as the local workforce needs.

Senator Livingston helped to secure a $1 million grant for the purchase of equipment for the workforce center back in August of 2022. The budget was secured by Senator Livingston and was supported by Speaker Ledbetter.

The addition of the Workforce Development Center is a game changer for generations to come in our region. The value this building brings to NACC far exceeds the cost of it. Countless individuals over the next 50 years and beyond will benefit from the expansion that is happening now, and lives will be changed because of it. The space gained from this project will enable the College to expand the capacity of existing high demand workforce programs and continue its focus on developing new pathways that align with regional workforce needs.

NACC Dean of Workforce Development and Skills Training Kerry Wright

The NACC Workforce Development Center was seen as a needed project by local communities through the ACCS ASPIRE 2030 Initiative . The initiative was launched in May 2020 as the ACCS’s strategic planning process for the use of the PSCA funds for capital improvement.

Those interested in learning more about NACC’s workforce development opportunities can visit the college’s website .

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