DCCC Receives $250,000 Grant from Duke Power April 13, 2005
Released By Davidson County Community College
LEXINGTON, N.C. - Davidson County Community College (DCCC) has received a $250,000 grant from Duke Power to support the college’s efforts to provide training for employees of local engineering and manufacturing technology companies. The grant money will be used specifically to purchase equipment for a new state-of-the-art automated manufacturing lab at the college.
DCCC is collaborating with Unilin Flooring to develop and implement training. Unilin, a Belgium-based company, is the first fully integrated manufacturer of laminate flooring in the United States and is expanding its operation in Thomasville. The company has committed to creating 330 new jobs at its new facility within three to five years.
“This project will provide economic development benefits in the local community and surrounding region by increasing the pool of skilled workers available to area employers in manufacturing and related industries,” said DCCC President Dr. Mary E. Rittling. “We are pleased to receive this level of support from Duke Power which will allow the college to equip and operate the automated manufacturing lab.”
DCCC’s Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Division will oversee the training program.
Since a significant amount of worker training will be needed to provide a qualified workforce, DCCC’s cooperation in the project was a significant factor in persuading Unilin to build the new production facility in Davidson County, according to Division Chairperson Ann McMurray. In addition, the project will support ongoing efforts to provide training for current and prospective employees of other area engineering and manufacturing companies.
“Within the next three years, DCCC anticipates having to secure well over $500,000 worth of equipment to create a state-of-the-art automated manufacturing lab at the college,” McMurray said. “This lab will provide many more residents of our region with the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and skills necessary to work in a variety of local engineering and manufacturing technology companies.”
McMurray added that support provided through the Duke Power Community College Grant Program will assist the college in taking a huge step forward with respect to implementing a training program for current and future companies and employees.
“The vision of this partnership is that the manufacturing lab becomes a major tool in our recruitment efforts to persuade companies to move to, or expand in, our region,” she noted.
The training program being developed by DCCC and Unilin will consist of training that will take place both at the college and at the Unilin manufacturing facility. Purchase of the equipment funded by the Duke Power grant will enable the college to provide automation training on-campus so that more students are able to experience the benefits of working with the technology. The college must increase the enrollment in the Electronics Engineering Technology program in order to provide Unilin and related industries with the workers they will need within the next five years.
To facilitate this training program, the Automation Technician Option has been added to the Electronics Engineering Technology curriculum for Fall Semester 2005. This option is seen as a viable educational path for preparing students to work in other third-party companies that operate in the area related to the repair and maintenance of equipment for manufacturing and automation industries such as Unilin.
Davidson County Community College—a comprehensive community college established in 1958—provides quality educational programs and services to prepare people in Davidson and Davie counties for enhanced employment and educational opportunities. During the 2003-2004 academic year, the College provided more than 15,000 individuals with instruction on its Davidson and Davie campuses, as well as community sites. The College is committed to enhancing the ability of individuals and organizations to live, earn, cope, change, survive, succeed, and prosper through perpetual, lifelong learning experiences. These learning experiences create choices and enhance opportunities for education and employment, thereby providing viable means to improve the quality of life in the community. More information about DCCC is available on the college Web site at: http://www.davidsonccc.edu.
Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity and value-added products and services to more than 2 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 19,900 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the company website at: www.dukepower.com.
Duke Energy is a diversified energy company with a portfolio of natural gas and electric businesses, both regulated and unregulated, and an affiliated real estate company. Duke Energy supplies, delivers, and processes energy for customers in the Americas. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: http://www.duke-energy.com/.
Contact Information:
Public Information Office
Davidson County Community College
336-249-8186
Rose Cummings
Duke Power
704-382-8333, Option 1
