CVCC, Golden LEAF Foundation unveil Industrial Systems Lab

Catawba Valley Community College has made two Teaching and Learning leadership changes, which went into effect on March 1.

03/08/2022

Golden Leaf Foundation

'This is a great day,” said CVCC President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw. “This is one of those things that we started envisioning with the county commissioners many years ago. We’ve talked about the commitments that we would need to make, and those commitments have come to reality.”

The Industrial Systems Lab was equipped through several community grants, including a $460,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation, whose mission is to support rural economic development with a main focus on workforce development and projects that support it. The grant was received directly by CVCC with support of CVCC Foundation, Inc.

The Golden LEAF grant is part of the Golden LEAF Foundations’s Community-Based Grants Initiative (CBGI), which goes to one reach of North Caroline each year to fund high priority projects.

“Golden LEAF is dedicated to the long-term economic advancement of North Carolina,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. “Golden LEAF is pleased to support the Industrial Systems Program at Catawba Valley Community College’s Alexander County campus. This project will help train high school students, traditional college age students, and incumbent workers in Alexander County for careers with advanced manufacturing companies in the area.”

The main goal for this Industrial Systems Lab, which is approximately 4,000 square feet, will be to train future talent for business and industry in Alexander County.

“We don’t have a feeder for CVCC unless our students from Alexander County are coming into our programs and moving into the workforce,” Hinshaw said. “That’s our ultimate goal with this center is to be a workforce innovation area that we can continue to build upon and grow and really set Alexander County up to do economic development and enhance its community and citizenry, but most of all provide the opportunities for young people because without them we don’t have business, industries and workers. We’ve got to work together to continue to encourage our young people to look at these opportunities. The wages they can make in these fields are amazing. We want them to stay here in this region above all else.”

The first classes at the Industrial Systems Lab are already underway with 11 students enrolling for the initial wave.

“This has been a long-term project here in the county,” said Roy Bearden, senior vice president of Craftmaster Furniture. “We found out a long time ago that if you’re going to have quality employees you’ve got to grow them. You’ve got to recruit people and the facilities to train them. We are absolutely blessed here in Alexander County to have this facility located here. You don’t have to drive to Hickory or another location to train. You can do it right here.”

Part of the grant also involves the Alexander County School System for career college promise (CCP) students — continuing to build the pipeline for skilled workers in Alexander County.

“We are excited about this lab,” said Brett Fansler, executive director for the Alexander Center. “There is a school system connection and an industry connection. That’s the main thing. We want to get people trained in this line of work because there’s a huge demand in not only Alexander County, but in this region.”

For more information about CVCC’s Alexander Center for Education,  contact Brett Fansler, executive director for the Alexander Center for Education, at 828-632-8221 ext 302 or email bfansler065@cvcc.edu.

Pictured for the ribbon cutting are, from left, Catawba Valley Community College President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw; Ted Lord, Senior VP and General Counsel for Golden LEAF Foundation; and Randy Isenhower, Catawba County Commissioner and member of the Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors.

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