The workforce of tomorrow is being shaped today in colleges and universities around the world. In the Carolinas, community college students are preparing for their careers in a variety of fields at two inspiring new facilities, the Catawba Valley Workforce Solutions Complex and the Rockingham Community College Workforce Development Building. Stewart is honored to provide structural engineering, helping shape our communities with these new facilities where high school graduates will learn the skills needed to enter the workforce and older workers can upgrade their skills for today’s modern careers.
The Workforce Solutions Complex at Catawba Valley Community College opened in 2018 and was designed by ADW Architects. In this 80,000-square-foot facility, students in technology and engineering programs, computer-integrated manufacturing, mechatronics, and robotics attend classes in state-of-the-art classrooms in this LEED Silver facility. The building also contains laboratory and shop areas for students in HVAC, welding, and automotive, plus a robotics lab, 3D printing lab, media center, meeting rooms, and gathering spaces. The design features glass walls in the laboratory learning areas, highlighting these training spaces and learning equipment to industry partners. Lab spaces were designed to be flexible, allowing the College to adapt as technology changes and they want to evolve their programs.
The Rockingham Community College Center for Workforce Development, also designed by ADW Architects, broke ground earlier this year and is expected to welcome students in 2024. This 42,000-square-foot facility houses advanced manufacturing programs, computer-integrated manufacturing, electrical systems technologies, mechatronics, and a student lounge. The Center encourages interactions with business leaders through the inclusion of a 200-seat corporate meeting space available for business and industry partners, and a small business center.
Although many students today are preparing for careers that look slightly different than the jobs previous generations had, students in the Carolinas will be ready for the future, thanks to modern facilities like these two in North Carolina.
