LaVALE, Md. – Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Eastern) and Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) toured Mineral County Technical Center (MCTC) juniors and seniors around ACM’s state-of-the-art Western Maryland Works Training Center and Makerspace on Thursday, March 9; Loretta Mick, principal of MCTC, Jim Spurling, Project Lead the Way engineering instructor, and Gary Trail, special populations, chaperoned the student’s attendance. The tour consisted of students visiting each training area housed at the facility, including; welding, 3D printing, digital fabrication, woodworking, industrial maintenance, advanced manufacturing, and more. Eastern and ACM formed a partnership in August 2022, for Industrial Maintenance training. This allows Eastern students to complete their courses by using the facilities and equipment at Western Maryland Works. “We are excited to be able to offer student opportunities through Eastern to attend the Allegany Works Makerspace program,” said Dr. Tom Striplin, president of Eastern, “This is a unique collaboration that provides a pathway to trade-based careers coupled with financial aid to help launch students into the workforce.”
The core industrial maintenance programs available to Eastern students are: Maintenance Operations, Basic Mechanical, Basic Hydraulic Systems, Basic Pneumatic Systems, Electrical Systems I & II, Electrical Control Systems I & II, Process Control Systems, Maintenance Welding, and Maintenance Piping. “We are excited to share the opportunities available at Western Maryland Works to students after high school for both credit and non-credit programs,” said Dr. Jennifer Light, program director of engineering, welding, and construction management, “Western Maryland Works continues to partner with Eastern WV Community and Technical College so that local high school students can explore our programs, providing opportunities to earn several industry-recognized credentials.”
Dr. Jennifer Light, program director of engineering, welding, and construction management, and Jaren Bohn, advanced manufacturing program manager, presented the Industrial Maintenance training area to the students.
West Virginia residents who register for any of these industrial maintenance trainings through Eastern may be eligible for financial support through the Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student (HEAPS) Workforce Development program. Eligible HEAPS students may receive up to $2,000 in funding to use for tuition, required testing, and required supplies. West Virginia residents interested in the industrial training program at Western Maryland Works can learn more at https://easternwv.edu/workforce-education, call 304-434-8000, or email WorkforceED@easternwv.edu.
