DCCC Receives Duke Energy Grant to Support Advanced Manufacturing Training at Ingersoll Rand in Mocksville

By Myra Thompson
Davidson County Community College

March 22, 2011

Davidson County Community College will use a grant of nearly $250,000 from the Duke Energy Community College Grant Program to provide advanced manufacturing training for employees of Ingersoll Rand’s Mocksville facility in Davie County.

The goal of this customized training is to help Ingersoll Rand maintain and grow its competitive position in the global economy through the “Machining Center of Excellence” that the company has established at the Mocksville plant. The training curriculum consists of more than 240 hours and will include both face-to-face and online instruction to accommodate Ingersoll Rand employees who work rotating production shifts across a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation.

The advanced manufacturing project is part of a larger education and training initiative at Ingersoll Rand that was developed through a partnership among the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board, the Davie County Economic Development Commission and DCCC.  

“We are extremely grateful to the Duke Energy Community College Grant Program for this award, which reflects our commitment to business success in Davie County,” said Dr. Mary Rittling, DCCC president. “The collaborative project will help us meet the community’s needs for advanced manufacturing training and will lead to growth and diversification of the region’s economic base.”

DCCC is partnering with Ingersoll Rand to identify the necessary competencies for its employees, assess the existing workforce, develop a modularized training approach to build skills, and implement training for the workforce that will lead to industry-recognized certification and academic credit.  Employees of Ingersoll Rand will be able to earn six to eight academic credit hours towards the 14 necessary for a curriculum certificate in CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) Operations as part of the Manufacturing Technology program at DCCC. 

The training offered in association with the Duke Energy grant will be supplemented by $25,000 that Ingersoll Rand received from the State's Incumbent Worker Grant Program through the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board. With in-kind contributions from DCCC, the total cost of the advanced manufacturing training project is approximately $300,000.

Over the past two years, Ingersoll Rand has invested over $19 million in equipment and facility upgrades at its Mocksville plant to position itself as a primary supplier of precision-machined components associated with the manufacture of rotary and centrifugal compressors. The equipment that DCCC is purchasing with the grant will enable the college to offer specialized training for Ingersoll Rand employees and to also support its revitalized Manufacturing Technology program. 

Jim Donnelly, dean of DCCC’s School of Community Education, Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship, will oversee the project. He said it will benefit numerous companies served by DCCC in Davie and Davidson counties.

“In addition to providing critical support for Ingersoll Rand, this grant builds the capacity for DCCC to offer similar training to other advanced manufacturing companies in our service area and across the region,” said Donnelly.  “Just as importantly, through the college’s Manufacturing Technology program, the grant will enable DCCC to train the future workforce for advanced manufacturing.” 

Duke Energy has recognized that even though the Carolinas have top-rated community and technical college systems, budgetary constraints present a challenge for them.  Duke Energy’s Community and Technical College Grant Program provides a financial boost that helps enable colleges to extend their expertise, provide rewarding opportunities for students, and ultimately, to help revitalize manufacturing in the Carolinas. 

For more information, contact Jim Donnelly at 336.224.4551, or e-mail him at jdonnelly@davidsonccc.edu

Dr. Mary Rittling, DCCC president, takes the podium to thank the partners who collaborated on a new educational initiative for Ingersoll Rand employees during a press conference March 22. DCCC is using a $250,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant to help Ingersoll Rand establish a “Machining Center of Excellence.” Shown from left is Phil Wekenmann, Ingersoll Rand’s plant manager, and Randy Welch of Duke Energy.