Trident Technical College officially opened its new $80 million South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center Friday, Nov. 8, with a ribbon cutting and tour of the 218,000-square-foot facility (including ramp) located on the college’s Thornley Campus in North Charleston.
Invited guests gathered in one of the center’s aircraft hangars for the opening ceremony with remarks by Gov. Henry McMaster; Sen. Hugh Leatherman, Senate Finance Committee Chair; Anita Zucker, CEO, InterTech Group; Elliott Summey, Chair, Charleston County Council; Keith Summey, North Charleston Mayor; Lane Ballard, Vice President of Boeing South Carolina 787 Delivery and Paint; and Dean Marsh, Managing Director, Dassault Systèmes.
The hangar door was raised, and Dr. Mary Thornley and the guest speakers officially opened the center by cutting a ribbon. Following a light show set against a backdrop of airplanes positioned on the aircraft ramp, guests explored the hangars, outfitted with a section of a Boeing 787 fuselage, a flight simulator and other aircraft training aids. A self-guided tour of the three-story building provided the opportunity to see the many training labs equipped with high-tech advanced manufacturing equipment.
College officials initially envisioned a center that would primarily serve the needs of the state’s growing aerospace industry and the desire of South Carolinians to prepare
for jobs in the aerospace sector. However, after Volvo Cars and Mercedes Benz Vans announced plans for manufacturing facilities in the Lowcountry, the college expanded the scope of the facility to encompass a broader mix of advanced manufacturing technology training.
The center includes an aircraft ramp, two hangars with high bays to accommodate a variety of aircraft and large aircraft training aids, 22 classrooms, 25 specialty labs, six flex-space labs, 37 offices, meeting spaces, a café and catering kitchen. The center’s labs and classrooms are equipped with cutting-edge industry-standard technology, including programmable robotic equipment, 3D printers and computer numerical control machines. The center also has composite material labs where students will learn to manufacture and repair the strong, lightweight structural material used in airplanes, vehicles, boats and other applications.
Previously, the college’s aircraft assembly, aircraft maintenance and avionics programs were spread across two campuses and five buildings. The new center houses all of the college’s Aeronautical Studies programs and provides space for other applied engineering academic programs, as well as continuing education courses and customized training in advanced manufacturing. ReadySC’s Boeing Training Center, where pre-employment, new hire and skill enhancement training for BoeingSC is held, is located on the building’s third floor. An estimated 5,370 students and 120 faculty and staff will use the facility annually.
“South Carolina has become a manufacturing hot spot, and this center will help sustain the state’s economic expansion by supplying the highly skilled workforce required by manufacturers and related industries that have made substantial investments in our state,” said TTC President Mary Thornley.
Thornley said the facility was designed to accommodate school tours and other events that will showcase the college’s hands-on training capabilities in manufacturing and related fields. “This will be not only an instructional space, but also an inspirational space that will ignite a spark in young minds to pursue high-tech, in-demand jobs with high wage potential,” she said. “Students don’t get excited about something until they can see, touch and experience it. This is where that magic will happen.”
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