If the upcoming fall semester at McDowell Technical Community College could be summed up in three words, those words would undoubtedly be, “Learn, Grow, Dream.” The college has new programs and opportunities for students looking to learn a new skill, get a promotion, and secure that dream job.
There are more short-term workforce development classes than ever for students wanting to transition quickly into new and better jobs, and a number of exciting new curriculum programs are beginning to meet state and regional workforce demands. Plans for a new building are underway, renovations will start this fall on the highly anticipated Rocket Building in Old Fort, and the design phase is beginning for a new emergency services driving track. For students and the community, success is just around the corner!
“I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this college,” said Dr. Brian S. Merritt, MTCC President, who will transition to a new position in September at the NC Community College System Office in Raleigh as Senior Vice-President and Chief Academic Officer for North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. “MTCC has been doing great things, and even better things are on the horizon as we build support for student success and work to fulfill the college’s vision and goals.”
Numbers Speak for Themselves
While there are multiple measures of a college’s success, numbers speak for themselves:
- The fall semester will begin on August 14th, with additional 14-week classes beginning on August 28th. Fall 2023 enrollment has already surpassed its highest enrollment in the past decade, exceeding the past two years of record enrollment growth.
- The college’s decision two years ago to place greater emphasis on growing our short-term workforce development classes to enable students to quickly train for high demand jobs with family-sustaining wages is paying off handsomely for the college and its students. This fall, the college has scheduled a record number of these short-term classes, including, but not limited to: (other classes are available at mcdowelltechconed.com)
- Construction Trades Academy
- Construction Trades Academy for Spanish Speakers
- Culinary Arts and Restaurant Training
- Graphics Academy
- Healthcare Billing & Coding
- Medical Office Assistant
- Photography Academy
- Plumbing Academy
- Residential Electrical Academy
- Trail Construction Academy
Building New Pathways to Success
Demand is high for the college’s new degree and curriculum programs which begin this fall and one for which the planning process has begun:
- Building Construction Technology
- 911 Operations and Communications
- Elementary Education Residency Certificate for college graduates interested in becoming elementary school teachers. (Tuition for this program will be FREE (!), but is limited to school-sponsored students.)
- Human Services Technology is currently in the planning process.
“Free College” available for Early Childhood Education students via a partnership with Dogwood Health Trust:
- Students enrolling the college’s early childhood program beginning this fall will attend MTCC tuition-free to complete their studies.
- The program will also pay for a specific course, EDU 119, that is required to work in childcare centers statewide.
Students with questions about scholarships can call Financial Aid at 828-652-0602.
Constructing New Facilities to Support Success
With the design phase completed, the much-anticipated renovation of the Rocket Building in downtown Old Fort will begin this fall, with construction bids being opened on August 15th. The new facility is expected to open in 2024 and will house a number of workforce development classes, including many of the college’s trail construction classes, which will benefit from the Rocket Building’s close proximity to the Pisgah National Forest. Funding for the project is being supplied by grants from the Golden Leaf Foundation and the United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, with additional matching funds provided by the Town of Old Fort.
Thanks to a $1 million appropriation from the NC General Assembly and a site supplied by the McDowell County Board of Commissioners, development of a master plan for an emergency services driving track will begin this fall. The college has already contracted with an architectural firm to complete the master plan for these facilities, which will be located across the road from the college on the site of the county’s former landfill on NC 226 South. When completed, the track will allow the college to do driver training for a variety of emergency service students, including ambulance drivers, law enforcement employees and others.
Plans are developing for a new Health Sciences and Public Safety Center on the college’s main campus, and promises to be the largest building on campus, reflecting the demand and importance of programs which will be housed in the building. The college hopes to double the number of nursing graduates with the increased number of classrooms and clinical facilities in the new building, and the transition to new space for Basic Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services classes will undergird support for these high growth, high demand programs. A gymnasium will also be included on one end of the building. Fundraising and grant-writing efforts will continue this fall to raise support for the building. More details are available at invest.mcdowelltech.edu.
Support for the Future
Historically, the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation has one of the lowest endowments of any foundation supporting colleges in the NC Community College System. Part of the college’s “Journey to Success” involves growing that endowment. A Day Giving is planned for November 1st to provide support for various programmatic efforts at the college. All funds provided to MTCC from October 1st of this year through September 30th of 2026 will be eligible for a match of up to $224,000 thanks to a Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant from the United States Department of Education. If the college receives the maximum matching dollars, the endowment will grow to over $1 million. More information is available at www.mcdowelltech.edu/mtcc-foundation/ . Questions or donations may be directed to Madalyn Gaito at 828-652-0630 or [email protected]
“Every day, people in McDowell County and the western NC region are making a choice to better themselves and their families by embarking on a personal journey to success and fulfill their dreams,” said Dr. Merritt, the MTCC President. “As a college, we are on a similar journey, navigating our own path to growth and success, but our students, our community and our state are the real beneficiaries. This is an ongoing process, and we will continue to Learn, Grow, and Dream. McDowell Tech is synonymous with success, and we look forward to a great year!”
To apply to MTCC, visit mcdowelltech.edu/apply-today/ . Financial aid is available to qualified students.
