MCTC Center for Workforce Development Grand Opening

Sept. 16, 2019
By Keith Kappes

Public officials and citizens of the Morehead area have stepped up again to demonstrate their enthusiastic support of the Rowan Campus of Maysville Community & Technical College.

About 200 persons braved 92-degree temperatures and high humidity Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the Center for Workforce Development, the second phase of the new Rowan Campus of MCTC. It is a $6.5 million classroom and laboratory building housing technical programs.

The facility is located about 500 yards from the first phase, the Postsecondary Center of Excellence, a $28 million classroom building on Rocky Adkins Tech Drive in the John Will Stacy MMRC Regional Business Park.
 

Both structures are located on a 41-acre tract of land in a prime section of the business park.

“We are celebrating here today because this state-of-the-art structure will better serve students who want to move on to good-paying jobs in one of these in-demand technologies,” said State Rep. Rocky Adkins, D-Morehead.  “The two facilities on this campus now represent a $35 million investment in hope and opportunity for our future workforce throughout this region.”

The Workforce building was financed by the MMRC Regional Industrial Authority with a loan from the USDA. It is being leased to MCTC for 30 years, after which it will become college property.

MCTC President/CEO Stephen Vacik described the event as a “long awaited, happy day” for the technology students and faculty members who started using the new building last month at the beginning of the fall semester. 

He thanked members of the MMRC board, Economic Development Council and city-county industrial authority for ongoing support of the project.  

EDC Executive Director Bob Helton said the location of the new Rowan Campus in the MMRC park is already a great asset to efforts to bring more jobs to the area.

“I’m very happy to tell prospective employers that we can train their specialized workforce right across the street,” he said. 

Helton’s comments were echoed by Rowan County Judge-Executive Harry Clark and Morehead Mayor Laura White-Brown, both of whom are EDC members.

They agreed that the new campus would be critical in meeting expected workforce demands in the next few years.

David Rhodes, representing Packs+Walker, the construction manager, expressed pride in the workmanship of the building, designed by MSE of Lexington.

The event concluded with a reception and building tours conducted by students and faculty.