Duke Energy awards $250,000 to Rockingham Community College
Oct 24, 2014Duke Energy and Rockingham Community College today announced a $250,000 investment from the Duke Energy Foundation. The funds will be used to provide equipment enabling the college to establish an Industrial Automation Manufacturing Center. The center will train students in automation and industrial manufacturing processes.
The funds will be used to purchase a robot arm, a CNC mill, an electromechanical maintenance cell, a refrigeration training cell, and a conveyor system.
The robot arm will allow students to program operations while performing simulated advanced manufacturing processes. The EM cell also will simulate automated manufacturing operations. The refrigeration training cell will expose students to the refrigeration cycle, and students can perform machine set-up and manufacture parts on the CNC mill.
“The expansion and establishment of an Industrial Automation Manufacturing Center will enable the college to increase the number of skilled workers in our region. Our graduates will be well-trained to support the advanced manufacturing industry,”
RCC Interim President Dr. William Aiken explained.
“By developing the local workforce, our partnership with Rockingham Community College helps attract and retain businesses in the region for years to come,” said Davis Montgomery, Duke Energy’s district manager.
This grant is part of Duke Energy’s $6.7 million investment in North Carolina’s Community Colleges’ focus on technical education and support of business and industry. Since 2004, Duke Energy has awarded $15 million in grants to 24 community colleges within the Duke Energy Carolinas service area. This new $6.7 million investment also includes community colleges located in the Duke Energy Progress service area.
About Rockingham Community College:
Rockingham Community College is committed to meeting the training needs of businesses and industries in the county. Developing customized training programs to meet the needs of the changing workforce and cultivating partnerships for workforce development are part of the college’s mission. For more information about the college, visit www.rockinghamcc.edu
About Duke Energy Foundation:
Duke Energy Foundation makes charitable investments on behalf of Duke Energy, the largest electric power holding company in the United States with 7.2 million customers in six states. Over the foundation’s long history in local communities, it has identified focus areas that maximize the foundation’s dollars and guide the foundation’s giving. The foundation makes grants supporting the environment, economic development, education and community vitality. In North Carolina, Duke Energy Foundation invests $16 million annually for community support and charitable contributions. To learn more about Duke Energy Foundation, visit www.duke-energy.com/community/
