For almost the entirety of Southwestern Community College’s 62-year history, precious little space has been fully dedicated to short-term workforce training.
That’s about to change.
Thanks in large part to a $2,593,557 million grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Southwestern will be able to renovate the existing Holt Library structure into a centralized space for the college’s Small Business Center and workforce development.
Planning is underway, and officials are working to schedule construction to begin shortly after Holt Library moves to a new location at the center of SCC’s Jackson Campus. Renovation of the Workforce Continuing Education Division’s space is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.
The total project cost equates to $3,241,946. As part of an 80/20 federal/local funding split, the project’s remaining budget of $648,389 will be covered by a local match from SCC’s institutional funds.
“As is the case at community colleges across the country, short-term workforce training is in high demand throughout our service area,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “This investment by the EDA will benefit not only our existing businesses but also thousands of workers and their families in the years to come.”
The EDA grant is supported through disaster recovery funding. Hurricane Helene exposed training gaps throughout the region, and SCC has identified ways to address those gaps by expanding space to provide short-term, relevant training that is responsive to business needs. These efforts are part of a strategy for fostering the region’s long-term economic resilience.
SCC’s Workforce Continuing Education Division typically trains individuals for new careers in four months or less and helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to grow their small businesses.
Southwestern’s official grant submission to the EDA highlighted the fact that the Southwestern NC region – including SCC’s service area of Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary – is in the process of adding about 6,000 jobs between the years 2022-2032. Many of those new jobs require technical or vocational schools, but only 44.9 percent of area residents have a degree or credential – far lower than the state average of 58.4 percent.
The existing Holt Library has 11,056 square feet, and initial plans call for the creation of multiple classrooms, conference rooms, flex spaces and offices to support workforce training and the Small Business Center. The Workforce Continuing Education Division currently occupies less than 1,300 square feet of office space inside Founders Hall – the only structure on Southwestern’s campus when the institution opened in 1964.
“We’re grateful to Dr. Tomas and our college administration for supporting this effort to secure space that can be dedicated entirely to helping individuals receive the training they need to quickly prepare for high-demand careers in our area,” said Scott Sutton, SCC’s Dean of Workforce Continuing Education.
Within five years of project completion, SCC officials project the new facility will help generate a 10-percent increase in the number of course completions in an industry-recognized credential.
The investment is projected to generate $32.8 million in annual payroll over the same time span.
For more information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by the nearest SCC location.