NW-SCC opens new auto technology center
NW-SCC employees and business leaders participate in a ceremonial ribbon-cutting during the grand opening of the new Automotive Service Technology Center on the Shoals campus.
Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC) officially opened their new Automotive Service Technology Center last Wednesday and officials are hopeful that the new center will help students who are pursuing careers in the automotive field.
The opening of the 10,450 square-foot facility, which now houses the Automotive Service Technology program, is an upgrade from the previous aging facility of approximately 6,200 square feet, which was constructed in the mid 1960s.
The new facility’s floor space contains eight training bays (four for oil change and tire rotation and four for automotive mechanical training), a classroom and office area, along with ample storage.
The facility offers students the opportunity to train in an environment that is comparable to current industry standards. The new facility will also provide an upgrade in needed tools and equipment for the program.
NW-SCC President Humphrey Lee said the location of the Automotive Service Technology Center, which is located directly off Avalon Avenue, provides needed visibility to the Shoals campus.
“The added visibility and expansion that the new Auto(motive) Service Technology Center offers the college is tremendous,” Lee said.
“Obviously, we are landlocked on the Shoals campus with limited visibility by major highways. This was a fantastic opportunity we could not afford to pass up.”
Since 2007, the Automotive Service Technology program has more than doubled in enrollment and the new facility will hopefully help the program reach new heights.
“With the addition of our new training center, we hope we not only train more students on industry standard equipment but also provide our industry partners with highly qualified and ATEF certified technicians in the Shoals and Northwest Alabama region,” stated Rose Jones, Associate Dean of Workforce Development.
“The Auto Service program includes associate degree, short and long-term certifications and could potentially lend itself to future certifications such as diesel engine certification.”
The expansion of the Automotive Service Technology program into the new facility is the latest on the Shoals campus since the opening and expansion of the new Applied Engineering and Machining Center in October of 2010 and the new Industrial Systems Technology program shortly thereafter.
The acquisition of the building, a venture that cost the college $615,000, included approximately $50,000 in tools and equipment.
