In 2005, Cherokee County purchased a 25,000 square foot building in order to develop the Cherokee County Center for Applied Technology. A collaboration between Tri-County Community College, Cherokee County, and several industry partners, the facility is now used for classes and short-run manufacturing and houses the college's Machinist Training Program and the Associate Degree program in Machining Technology.
The primary goal in developing the center was to provide the community with a workforce development program as the need for skilled workers in the area grew as more industrial business took root. The NC Rural Center and the Economic Development Administration provided grant funds for the renovation of the building, and the center received grant money from Duke Energy to help pay for 10 large machines. Phase One of the building renovation was completed in 2008.
Employment opportunities for machining technicians exist in manufacturing industries, public institutions, governmental agencies, and in a wide range of specialty machining job shops. Students in the machining technology program learn the skills necessary to fill these positions, from safely using hand tools to interpreting blueprints, and performing basic and advanced machining operations, in order to make decisions to ensure that work quality is maintained.
With grants, donated equipment and a remodeled building for classes, Tri County Community College is providing students in Western NC with valuable skills and providing employers with a trained, knowledgeable workforce.
Tri-County Community College is an accredited, comprehensive, public-supported, two-year, post-secondary institution, which operates in accordance with North Carolina Law and the administrative policies of the North Carolina Community College System. Located in the westernmost tip of North Carolina, the College serves commuter students in a rural area consisting of Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties by providing college transfer, vocational, technical, and adult education programs.
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An interview with Ms. Tipton