Bluegrass Community & Technical College: Governor Beshear Joined Ribbon Cutting At The BCTC Advanced Manufacturing Center Danville Campus

Press release from Bluegrass Community & Technical College:

Oct 5, 2021

Published on Oct 5, 2021

LEXINGTON, KY - Governor Beshear, college leadership, state and local dignitaries joined Bluegrass
Community and Technical College (BCTC) to cut the ribbon and officially open the Advanced
Manufacturing Center , located in the John Hill Bailey Industrial Park on the Danville
Campus. 

"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 sq. ft. Advanced Manufacturing Center expands the newly implemented Advanced
Manufacturing Technician (AMT) 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. Andy 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 (KCTCS) 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 $2.1M
for the college to raise. BCTC contributed just over $1.1M and $1M was provided by
the local community. The local match and commitment was a key component of the Kentucky
Work Ready Skills Initiative.

View photos from the event.

This press release was produced by Bluegrass Community & Technical College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.