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Gadsden State unveils new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Skills Training Center

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Greg Bailey
 |  Gadsden Times

A mere 14 months after ground was broken, Gadsden State Community College’s new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Skills Training Center is ready to begin its mission of preparing people for 21st century jobs and careers.

A crowd of more than 200 people, representing the business, educational, governmental and industrial sectors, turned out June 12 for the ribbon-cutting on the $24 million facility on Gadsden State’s East Broad Street campus.

That’s a reflection, college officials noted, of the scope of the support the project has received from stakeholders in the community since it was announced.

Alan Smith, dean of workforce development, pointed out that all of Etowah County’s municipalities — from Gadsden the largest to Ridgeville the smallest — and the County Commission backed it financially.

There was also input from the local school systems, from economic development organizations and nonprofits, and from business and industry.

“Everybody bought in and everyone was on board once we started casting the vision,” Smith told the crowd.

The result is something that Gadsden State President Kathy Murphy promised will “change lives in our community” by equipping them for “high-tech, high-wage, high-demand opportunities.”

She said it will give students an opportunity to “put themselves on a different trajectory.”

The $24 million center was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood and built by M.J. Harris Construction of Birmingham.

It will provide training in fields like Additive Manufacturing, Electronics Engineering, Industrial Automation (housing the second cohort of students in FAME, an apprentice-type program in that field), Mechanical Design Technology and Precision Machining.

Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford said that will elevate the entire region and fits “like a hand in a glove” with the city’s new master plan.

“The industries we are talking to need skilled workers to operate all the technology that runs their expensive equipment, and this center puts Gadsden ahead of the game,” Ford said. “For existing industries, it gives them a leg up on their global competition with local training on the latest technological advancements in manufacturing.”

David Hooks, director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, said the center offers a myriad of opportunities.

“First it says to prospective projects, Gadsden and Etowah County are serious about the future of workforce development and how training of a modern workforce is accomplished,” he said. “Secondly, it says to students — that are our future workforce — this community acknowledges the importance of a well-trained manufacturing workforce and (that) advanced manufacturing is a respected profession for them to pursue.”

Those attending the ribbon-cutting got a chance to tour the center’s state-of-the-art interior, which includes 10 laboratories, seven classrooms, 11 offices, a multipurpose room, 10 tool and storage rooms, a storm shelter, a testing suite, a kitchen and serving area, a break room and six restrooms, according to information provided by the college.

The various training areas can be viewed through glass windows, to give prospective students and industry partners (who are directly involved in some of the instruction) a chance to see the center in action.

Entrances are designed for safe loading and unloading from cars and buses, and there are digital information displays throughout the building.

Much of the money for the center came from a bond issue passed by the Legislature in 2020 to fund facility upgrades and new construction for education on all levels. An additional $12 million was made available last year in the Education Supplemental Appropriation Bill, and Murphy thanked the local legislative donation for their united support in facilitating that.

The project’s genesis was the Alabama Community College System’s ASPIRE 2030 initiative: “Achieving Systemwide Potential through Increased Resources and Engagement.”

Smith recalled attending an ACCS conference four years ago, at which Chancellor Jimmy Baker challenged those present to “dream big and engage stakeholders and come up with a plan that would change the landscape of the ACCS and our service areas for the next 30 years.”

Smith told Baker, who attended the ribbon-cutting, “Thank you, and yes sir, I listened.” He and Murphy said the support of the chancellor and the system’s board of trustees was essential in turning the center from a dream into reality.

“This is just the beginning,” Baker said. “You see this crowd, and you know that somebody made the right decisions and did a lot of good, hard work.”

The chancellor said the goal is for people to remember their time at Gadsden State as a life-changing experience, something Smith echoed.

“We’ve got something good here and we’re going to be moving forward with it in a great way,” he said. “Our commitment … is to change lives for good, forever. That’s what we do.” 

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