BCTC

News release

Gov. Andy Beshear, college leadership and state and local dignitaries joined Bluegrass Community and Technical College to cut the ribbon and officially open the Advanced Manufacturing Center, located in the John Hill Bailey Industrial Park on the Danville Campus.

Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the ribbon cutting event. – Photo submitted.

“Today we celebrate state and local officials coming together with the community to serve students,” said Dr. Koffi Akakpo, president of BCTC. “This state-of-the-art facility provides real-world training and education to prepare men and women for the manufacturing industry across Central Kentucky, building better lives for individuals and communities.”

The 13,780-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center expands the newly implemented Advanced Manufacturing Technician program and the Electrical and Industrial Maintenance programs by doubling their annual capacity and increasing the number of program graduates from 38 to 76, annually.

“The BCTC Danville Advanced Manufacturing Center will provide new opportunities for our students and will create a pipeline of talented professionals for our partners in the advanced manufacturing industry, as we continue building a world-class education system across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “When companies look to invest, they look at education and workforce training as a top priority. With this facility and our booming economy, it’s clear that in Kentucky, we deliver.”

The Advanced Manufacturing Center has a high bay, open-lab concept consistent with workplaces in the manufacturing field. Four additional classrooms surround the open lab providing space for instruction, student projects, meeting space and other instructional-related activities. This state-of-the-art learning space will prepare students for their professions.

“I’m proud to celebrate with BCTC today and recognize faculty and staff for their commitment to educating our future workforce, especially through the pandemic,” said Dr. Paul Czarapata, Kentucky Community and Technical College president.

In 2016, BCTC was awarded one of 25 Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative grants  in the amount of $2,736,000 to build the Advanced Manufacturing Center on the Danville BCTC Campus. The entire project is valued at $4,845,000, leaving just over $2.1 million for the college to raise. BCTC contributed just over $1.1 million and $1 million was provided by the local community. The local match and commitment was a key component of the Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative.