Grand Opening: Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Trenholm State Community College

Trenholm State Community College, along with partner companies in the Alabama River Region FAME Chapter, and industrial and technical education solutions provider Festo Didactic, are proud to announce the opening of Trenholm State’s brand-new, high-tech Advanced Manufacturing Training Center.

To mark the occasion, Trenholm State, its partners, and community supporters will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:00 pm on Thursday, January 19 at the college (Patterson Site - Building Q, 3920 Troy Highway, Montgomery, AL 36116). The ribbon cutting will be assisted by Dr. Kemba Chambers, President of Trenholm State Community College, Trenholm State’s students, advisory committee members, and representatives from the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.

“Trenholm State is excited to unveil our new Advanced Manufacturing Center,” said Dr. Kemba Chambers, President of Trenholm State Community College. “With multiple units of equipment, our students enrolled in the FAME program and Advanced Manufacturing program will be able to have hands-on lab experiences similar to those in the manufacturing fields. This new center will also bring additional Advanced Manufacturing training options for businesses and industries throughout the River Region.” 

“This project would not have been possible without the support of our President, Dr. Kemba Chambers and her administration, as well as The Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development Divisions at the Alabama Community College System Office, the staff at the Alabama Region 5 Workforce Development Council (Central AlabamaWorks) and our seven partner companies in the River Region FAME chapter, which include Coca-Cola, Hager Companies, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, International Paper, James Hardie, Inteplast, and Rheem,” said Danny Perry, Dean of Career and Technical Education and FAME Coordinator at Trenholm State.

The Advanced Manufacturing Training Center has 11 different training sections that provide the capability to train students from introductory level manufacturing skills to highly advanced production, troubleshooting and robotics competencies. Trenholm State has invested over $2 million from federal and state grant funding in state-of-the-art training equipment for the facility provided by leading automation and robotics companies including Festo, Siemens, and Fanuc.

“The utilization of training equipment is essential to the success of training our students. Students seem to learn best for this career field by applying knowledge they learn in a hands-on environment. The equipment from Festo allows our students to utilize the textbooks chosen by the instructors in concert with the learning management system provided by Festo and apply the knowledge in a nearly identical environment that they will see within the workplace. The various training stations allow students to master the various skills for individualized applications as well as putting all their skills to work in a fully simulated work environment within the training lab,” Perry added.

The Engineering Technologies Program at Trenholm State is comprised of seven programs which include, Advanced Manufacturing, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Electrical Technology, Industrial Systems and Automation, Precision Machining, Robotics/Mechatronics, and Welding. These programs are designed to prepare individuals to work in many different areas within manufacturing. Training provided includes areas such as electricity, welding, robotics, mechatronics, production, safety, quality assurance, programmable logic controls, motor controls, blueprint reading, precision measurement and machining, hydraulics, pneumatics, pumps, troubleshooting, maintenance, and many other skills needed for modern day industrial operations roles. Due to high demand for individuals in these programs, almost 100% of Trenholm State students are placed with a local company during their first or second semester of training.

Within the Workforce Development division at Trenholm State, customized training is provided to local manufacturing companies based on their specific needs. The WFD division receives funding support for training through the ACCS WFD Division Existing Industry Training Program (EITP). This grant provides funding for existing industry up to $15,000 per year and up to $60,000 over 10 years. The funding allows local manufacturing companies to identify training needs within their company, obtain funding to cover the cost, and Trenholm State provides the needed training.

Trenholm State also works closely with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeships and local manufacturing companies to assist with setting up apprenticeships and training opportunities for local manufacturers. The apprenticeship programs allow companies a $1250 income tax credit for each qualifying apprentice for up to 10 apprentices, not to exceed $12,500 per year.

“Over the course of the next decade, it’s estimated that over two million high-paying jobs could potentially go unfilled due to a shortage of qualified workers with proper exposure to Industry 4.0 education and career training,” said Tony Oran, Vice President at Festo Didactic North America. “The new Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Trenholm State signifies exciting progress towards our collective goal to close the STEM skills gap and guide students towards opportunities and success in any technical field of their choosing.”

ABOUT TRENHOLM STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

H. Councill Trenholm State Community College (Trenholm State) is a comprehensive two-year community college located in Montgomery, Alabama. The College provides associate transfer degrees, as well as associate degrees and certificates that lead to the workforce. In addition, the college provides adult learning opportunities; civic, social cultural, and personal development; business and industry training; and support of economic development for the central Alabama region. Trenholm State is part of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), a statewide system of postsecondary colleges governed by the Alabama Community College  System Board of Trustees. The College operates two campuses, the Patterson Site and the Trenholm Campus, adult education and dual enrollment sites, and provides additional educational and training services for Montgomery and the surrounding area. For more information, please visit: https://www.trenholmstate.edu/