Ceremonial Beam Signing Marks Expansion of Building Construction Technology Training at Midlands Technical College

Midlands Technical College hosted a ceremonial beam signing to mark the expansion of Building Construction Technology training at the college. The project, supported by a $1 million Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant awarded to the MTC Foundation in 2024, will expand training space and enhance equipment in the Advanced Manufacturing and Skilled Crafts (AMSC) Center at MTC’s Airport Campus.

The expansion will increase MTC’s capacity to prepare students for careers in building construction and help the college meet workforce demand in the Midlands.

The existing AMSC building, which opened in early 2016, consists of 34,000 square feet. Planned improvements include a new 4,097-square-foot lab area with four built-in work benches, a new 2,942-square-foot canopy area, and an expanded mechanical yard that will house a new dust collecting system. The plans also call for renovations to an existing 4,400-square-foot shop in the building.

New equipment will include a pocket hole machine, table saw, jointer, band saw, planer, drill press, chop saw/miter saw, and drum sander.

“The Lowe’s Foundation’s investment is a powerful example of what can happen when philanthropy is aligned with the workforce needs of our community,” said Tom Schlictman, Interim Vice President for Philanthropy and CEO, Midlands Technical College Foundation.

Schlictman added, “This gift is helping us create the space, resources and support needed to expand Building Construction Technology and prepare more students for rewarding careers in the skilled trades. The enclosure of the AMSC training space makes that investment visible, but its greatest impact will be seen in the lives and careers of the students who learn here.”