WCC adding Industrial Tech and Engineering building, seeking public donations

GOLDSBORO — Wayne Community College is asking the community to contribute to its next building.

The college is preparing to construct the Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering to house its college-credit industrial manufacturing-related training programs. It will also include space for short-term industrial and manufacturing-related training offered by the Workforce Continuing Education Division.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity for our applied tech programs,” said WCC President Patty Pfeiffer. “This building is going to have a significant impact on those programs which will in turn have a significant impact on other programs at the college.”

Programs in the Allied Health and Business and Computer Technologies areas will expand into areas currently occupied by Industrial and Engineering programs.

Boomerang Design and T.A. Loving Company have been selected as the design-build team to construct the 40,000 square-foot building. The contractors have already begun meeting with campus stakeholders to ensure the facility meets their needs.

“We are trying to build a space that is appropriate for the level of instruction they provide,” said WCC Vice President of Operations Derek Hunter. “The new building will allow growth and enhancement of programs for apprenticeships, short-term training, curriculum degree attainment, and Career and College Promise specifically in the career technical education focus area. CITE will offer space specifically designed for the safe, efficient and effective training of students on the latest technologies in the industrial manufacturing arena.

“Manufacturing is the largest private sector industry in our region and is also the fastest growing,” said Foundation of Wayne Community College Executive Director Adrienne Northington. “CITE will support this growth by offering state-of-the-art training for our students for years to come.”

The estimated budget for this building is $12,300,000.

A capital campaign is under way to raise the funds for the project. Wayne County, the state of North Carolina, the Golden LEAF Foundation as well as the Foundation of WCC have made financial commitments to the construction, Northington said, but she is appealing to the public to bring in the remainder needed to build the center. “The investment we make today will help secure the future of manufacturing excellence in Wayne County and eastern North Carolina,” she said.

“Your gifts and support are needed as we work to make CITE a reality for our campus and community,” said Northington. “Will you help us build CITE?”

Anyone who would like to learn more about the project and contribute to it can go to www.waynecc.edu/foundation/build-cite/.