LeCroy Career Technical Center unveils new ITE program
Published 6:15 pm Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Those who attended the unveiling of the new Industrial Technology and Engineering at The LeCroy Career Technical Center program Tuesday included, from right: Cameron Bates, Clanton Police Department; Andrew Ellison, Clanton FIre Department; Dr. Philip Cleveland, Alabama Director of Office of Career and Technical Education; Monty Gentry and Tom Sefcik, Ebsco; Dara Norman and Chris Johnson, LeCroy Career Technical Center; Rep. Jimmy Martin; Mary Wallace, KUMI; Tommy Glasscock, Chilton County Schools Superintendent; Tommy Sigl and Jimmy Simpler, Johnson Controls; Walt Fenn, Chilton County Schools Deputy Superintendent; Todd Davis, LeCroy Career Tech Center.
The LeCroy Career Technical Center unveiled its new Industrial Technology and Engineering Department on Tuesday.
The program, which was formerly the electronics program, looks to involve students in more industry-based technology, such as the use of robots, in hopes of better preparing students for the workforce.
“They’ll still get to learn about electronics, but we’ll just have current technology,” said Chris Johnson, program instructor. “They’ll get introduced to robotic arms, computer simulation equipment and current industrial and automated equipment.”
At the unveiling, Superintendent Tommy Glasscock, Deputy Superintendent Walter Fenn, Alabama Director of Office of Career and Technical Education Philip Cleveland, Rep. Jimmy Martin and representatives from local businesses including KUMI, Johnson Controls and Ebsco—as well as staff from LeCroy—all witnessed some of the new training equipment, as well as the program’s remodeled classroom.
“We took the best of all the (industrial) trainers, and then we tried to blend it so we made a trainer that was as close to the real world as you could get, but was still student safe,” Johnson told those in attendance about the classroom work stations. Students in the program will be introduced to working with automated or computer-based equipment with the opportunity to pursue careers in the field upon graduation, or further study in college.
“I want to commend this school system,” Cleveland told the crowd. “I’m all over the state of Alabama, and (Chilton County) has done a phenomenal job of aligning what they need to do here with industry. We’re trying to make sure students enter college without remediation and enter your work places with the credentials you have said they need.”
Cleveland said the opportunity to get students familiar with what is expected in the real world could only provide good opportunities for students.
“This is where the rubber meets the road,” he said. “It’s exciting to see school systems like this one do the work they’re doing, aligning with business and industry.”
Funding for the program came from a $50 million bond from the state Legislature, $200,000 of which went to the ITE program for the purchase of equipment.
Glasscock said the program looks to align even further with local industry.
“We’re smart enough to realize from an industry standpoint, you’re looking for return on investment,” Glasscock told the industrial representatives. “One of the things we’re really going to spend time on by the fall, is to have a full-time cooperative (liaison) in place to have apprenticeship or internships.”
The program will hold between 12-20 students, and will open in the fall of 2015.
Johnson said the goal of the program was to help students get as early a start as possible on their futures.
“The more we can do to align our training with local industry, the more we can help the local work force,” he said. “The work force is going to grow. We’re trying to get ahead of the curve.”
