Northeast Alabama Community College breaks ground on Workforce Skills Center

Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) has officially broken ground on the new Workforce Skills Center.  

NACC’s Workforce Skills Center is one of five workforce centers being built by Alabama Community College System (ACCS). The project is financed primarily by ACCS through a bond issue passed by Alabama legislature with special support from Alabama State Senator Steve Livingston, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter and Representative Mike Kirkland. ACCS Chief Facilities Officer Mark Salmon is the facilities director for the project. Dr. David Campbell serves as President of Northeast Alabama Community College and coordinates College enhancement initiatives with the ACCS, builders, architects, and workforce economic developers. 

“The addition of the Workforce Development Center is a game changer for generations to come in our region,” said Kerry Wright, NACC Dean of Workforce Development and Skills Training. “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.” 

The new 50,000-square-foot facility will house advanced laboratory space for programs centered on advanced design and manufacturing, industrial systems technology and maintenance, precision machining and building construction technology. The center will have adaptable space flexible to interchange up to six programs as the local workforce needs. State-of-the-art lab space will be used to train students in the uses of computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools, modern advanced automation systems, electrical and mechanical troubleshooting processes, 3D printing and modeling equipment, and many crafts areas specific to the building construction industry, such as HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, industrial electronics, mechatronics and more. The facility will also feature a community meeting room to host industry partners, space for Skills U.S.A. and administrator office space.  

Goodwyn Mills Cawood is providing architectural, interior design, civil engineering and landscape architecture services for the advanced manufacturing facility, which is being constructed by Cooper Construction. Other project team members include Tucker Jones Engineers, structural engineer; MW/Davis Dumas & Associates, mechanical engineer; and Jackson, Renfro & Associates, electrical engineer.  

Construction is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2024, with students beginning classes in the new building for the Spring 2025 semester.