BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The expansion of the Pierpont Community and Technical College at the North Central West Virginia is back on track after being delayed for several months.
Pierpont interim President Michael Waide said property acquisition details with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Benedum Airport Authority took longer than expected. Now he said they’re 95 percent complete with the design phase for an FAA Part 147 training facility and they hope to put the project out for bid in the spring.
“It allows us to take our present enrollment from 130 learners to upwards of 230,” Waide said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “So, we’re quite excited because the regional and national demand for a skilled workforce is growing.”
Wade said the current program is well known across the state and always has a waiting list to enter. The skills these students learn put them on a path to jobs that are in demand not just locally but nationally, pay well, and could include businesses that support aviation.
“Aviation is exciting,” Waide said. “It’s an opportunity not just to work in aviation, but those skill sets that are marketable to aviation and aviation-adjacent careers are attractive.”
The expansion is funded by a $25 million allocation approved by state lawmakers and will add 70,000 square feet to their training capacity. The facility will also include a testing lab that students can use to prepare for certification requirements with the help of faculty.
“It will have dedicated lab space, aircraft systems labs, power plant labs, some avionics training areas, and some state-of-the-art welding areas for fabrication,” Waide said.
After graduation and certification, the professionals can find a job with a competitive wage at the North Central Regional Airport or just about anywhere in the world. Waide said the industry needs more aircraft maintenance workers today, and the need continues to grow.
“There’s not just a high demand nationally, there’s a high demand locally, and these students are leaving the program and entering the workforce gainfully, and we’re excited about that,” Waide said.
Waide said the facility will be built within the $25 million budget allocated about two years ago, but they will work with the Pierpont Foundation to raise money for additional things that might be needed. That work will also include the industry partners that already call the airport home, like Pratt & Whitney Engine Services, Aurora Flight Sciences, Lockheed Martin, KCI Aviation, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries – Regional Jet.
“To launch a capital campaign to help with the additional costs of appointing and fixing the facility,” Waide said. “That will create an opportunity for some of our industry partners to embrace the new vision for that space.”
Members of the House of Delegates Finance Committee questioned higher education officials about the project in a budget hearing last month.