At BridgeValley Community and Technical College we are proud of the years-long partnerships we have built with key employers in the region. Leveraging those partnerships helps create new opportunities for our students, our communities, and our entire state. Just as important, we are thankful to Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin for their support of commonsense, pro-growth energy policies that help foster these kinds of collaborations here in West Virginia and throughout the country.
Working with our industry partners, BridgeValley has been able to expand access to vital advanced manufacturing education that helps students develop the 21st century skills they need to enter the workforce and position themselves for future success. For more than a decade through a program called WV FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education), BridgeValley’s Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) associate degree program, launched in partnership with Toyota West Virginia, has provided students cutting-edge curriculum, a paid working experience, and insight into best practices of a world-class manufacturer.
Students selected for the FAME program attend classes at the Advanced Technology Center of South Central West Virginia two days a week while working the other three days at the Toyota plant. Over the five-semester program, students have the opportunity to learn valuable work skills that they can use once they begin their manufacturing careers. And we are excited that Nucor has decided to join the WV FAME initiative and that they will now also select students for the same AMT training and opportunities.
Just recently, we were pleased to see Senator Shelley Moore Capito make a stop at the Toyota plant where our AMT students work. During her visit, the Senator made a point to visit the solar arrays that help power the facility.According to Senator Capito, these solar power capabilities help reduce the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 4 million pounds per year. Not only is that helping improve the overall environment in our region, it is also spurring clean energy innovation.
Both Senators Capito and Manchin deserve credit for helping support smart energy policies that help advance clean energy technology and solutions. Our state has long been a leader in energy, and we can continue playing a critical role by investing in and growing our clean energy economy and workforce. Doing so will help create new opportunities for BridgeValley students looking to start careers in emerging clean energy production industries.
Senator Capito was keynote speaker at BridgeValley’s commencement address this May. We were able to thank her in person for her hard work to support clean energy solutions. I hope both she and Senator Manchin continue supporting pro-growth clean energy policies in Washington that will help advance environmental and carbon-reduction goals while opening new doors for West Virginia students and workers.
Dr. Casey K. Sacks has served as the President of BridgeValley Community and Technical College since June 2021.