Blue Ridge Community College’s Transylvania County campus was recently upgraded. On Wednesday afternoon, BRCC officials dedicated the new Applied Technology building, which houses two new associate degree programs: Automotive systems and nursing.
“It’s very exciting to bring these new programs to Transylvania County,” said Chad Merrill, dean of BRCC’s Transylvania programs. “This has been planned for some time.”
“I think this is a very important step forward in providing education opportunities for a broader spectrum of students, especially those who elect to go into a technical field,” said Bill Layton with Transylvania County’s planning and economic development board.
The building will house the two new degree programs for Transylvania County’s BRCC campus, instead of forcing students to drive into Flat Rock. The Brevard campus has grown by 30 percent from last fall and has more than 330 students enrolled in curriculum classes, according to Merrill.
The new addition will encourage high school students to attend community college classes, earning credit for both high school and college. They will also start offering a nurse aide program. The career paths of automotive technology and nursing were chosen because they are the two fastest-growing career opportunities in the state, explained Merrill.
“This Applied Technology building is a really handsome building,” said Molly Parkhill, BRCC president. “It’s a center of education that will attract businesses to Transylvania County. It will also provide better education for students.”
The new building also houses the Blue Ridge Innovation Network, which features the new business incubator. The incubator helps new businesses with continued development of a business plan and offers office space for a year lease.
Gary Heisey, director of the Small Business Center for BRCC and director for the Blue Ridge Innovation Network, explained that “about 80 percent of new businesses are out of business within three to five years.”
Heisey added that new businesses that have been incubated are 87 percent successful. The network offers advice on business plans each month, affordable leases for office space and networking with other businesses within Transylvania County. The Innovation Network has a tiered system for new businesses, offering full 12-month leases, an office-share partnership or a community business partnership. The idea is to be a hub for business in Transylvania County, to encourage new business growth and bring current businesses together.
“The focus really here is to help existing business and new business innovate and help them prosper and grow,” said Heisey.
The building cost a total of $2,749,349. Some of the funding was provided by the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners, North Carolina’s Community Development Block Grants program, N.C. Community College System Facilities and Equipment Grant and 200 Higher Education Bond Program Funds.
Construction began in April 2007. The building was first occupied in July 2008. It consists of two floors and a total of 14,862 feet.
An open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. There will be a free barbecue lunch for the first 300 attendees.source
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