For Immediate Release:
November 23, 2021
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Construction of a new building dedicated to the skilled trades on the Fauquier Campus is expected to begin in February and be open for classes in fall 2022.
This opportunity to build a facility dedicated to trades education is thanks to a gift of 60 acres adjacent to campus from Fauquier County to the Laurel Ridge Educational Foundation. The college has been leasing space for trades instruction at Vint Hill, but that site is not ideal for those needs, and the lease expires in 2022.
With the new trades building, the college will be able to offer trades classes for the first time on the Fauquier Campus, and even begin a new carpentry program. Other programs planned for the new 8,000-square-foot pre-engineered metal building include electrical, HVAC, plumbing and heavy equipment operator.
“Providing career training and apprenticeships in the trades requires a custom-designed facility – we need flexible labs for hands-on learning, hard floors, high ceilings, state-of-the-art ventilation systems, multiple outlets and drop cords to accommodate the industrial and commercial training equipment, and more,” said Jeanian Clark, vice president of Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education. “That’s why this new building is such exciting news. And it couldn’t come at a better time. With the state’s investment in the G3, FastForward and Re-Employing Virginians (REV) initiatives, enrolling in skilled-trades programs and high-demand career pathways has never been more affordable for students. Our area businesses and industries need our trades graduates.”
In addition to expanding trade offerings, the new facility will allow the college to explore partnerships with Fauquier County and Rappahannock County schools for potential new ventures, such as a trades academy.
“The expansion of trades programs on the Fauquier Campus is good news for the home construction industry,” said Laurel Ridge Foundation Board Member Joel Barkman, who is founder and president/CEO of Golden Rule Builders in Catlett. “By investing in the infrastructure to develop the next generation of building trade professionals, Laurel Ridge is a valuable partner in addressing the skilled labor shortage. I’m proud to support the college.”
The foundation, which will own the building and lease it to the college, has established the Building the Future Fund with a fundraising goal of $1.5 million. The money raised will go towards fully equipping the site; bringing in experienced instructors; expanding instruction to more fields within career and technical education, such as welding; offering scholarships and more. There are naming opportunities for the building itself, as well as spaces inside.
For more information or to donate to the Building the Future Fund, contact Tami O’Brien, development officer, at 540-351-1046 or [email protected].
*************************
Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With four locations — Middletown, Warrenton, Luray-Page County and most recently, Vint Hill— the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College (Laurel Ridge) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College. Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.
###