Wallace State Community College (WSCC) held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday for its new Workforce Training Center, which is located on the grounds of Rehau.
The Workforce Training Center will provide facilities for training programs and services offered by the college’s Center for Career and Workforce Development. Initially, classes for phlebotomy, computer office training, fiber optics training, some manufacturing training, and a Skills for Success lab will be offered at the site. WSCC plans to offer classes for Certified Nursing Assistants and Medication Assistant Certification at the center soon.
Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker, State Rep. Randall Shedd, Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, and Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Dale Greer were in attendance, as well as WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics, Vice President for Advancement and Innovation Suzanne Harbin and industry partners Jeremy Sturdivant of the Jimmie Hale Mission, and Tracy Rushing of R.E. Garrison Trucking.
Space will also be available for use by area businesses and industries that need facilities for employee training.
Hardin said that the facility provides them with a central location to host classes and store materials and supplies for their programs.
Through its Pro Skills Pathways program, the Center for Career and Workforce Development offers short-term training to earn credentials students can use to get a job, advance in their current job, or use as credit to articulate into a credit-bearing program at Wallace State.
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones Wadsworth told Alabama Today, “Wallace State’s newest workforce training center at the Rehau campus will transform the lives of the people in Cullman and the surrounding area. Courses offered will equip graduates with in-demand skills that translate into jobs within a variety of trades. We applaud Wallace State for its continuous communication with industry partners and willingness to go the extra mile to serve our communities.”
Registration for the Spring 2024 semester is underway, with classes beginning January 8 for regular and Mini Term I and March 6 for Mini Term II. Registration for Flex Start I courses will be held Jan. 13-19, with classes starting January 15, and registration for Flex Start II courses will be held Jan. 20-26, with classes beginning January 22. To register for classes, visit their website.
The two-year college system has an enormously important role in training Alabama’s workforce. This expansion with the Workforce Training Center will help Wallace State perform in that role.
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