Ribbon cut to open Mechatronics Lab at VGCC South Campus


Officials ceremonially cut the ribbon, opening the Mechatronics lab at VGCC’s South Campus. Pictured, from left, they included Kenneth Wilson, VGCC’s project manager for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC; Keith Shearon, VGCC’s Mechatronics program head/instructor; Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training; Cecilia Wheeler, president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and dean of VGCC’s South Campus; Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs; Wesley Williams, VGCC’s applied technologies department chair; Angela Gardner-Ragland, VGCC’s dean of business and applied technologies; and Stan Winborne, career and technical education director for Granville County Schools. (VGCC photo)

Officials ceremonially cut the ribbon, opening the Mechatronics lab at VGCC’s South Campus. Pictured, from left, they included Kenneth Wilson, VGCC’s project manager for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC; Keith Shearon, VGCC’s Mechatronics program head/instructor; Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training; Cecilia Wheeler, president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and dean of VGCC’s South Campus; Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs; Wesley Williams, VGCC’s applied technologies department chair; Angela Gardner-Ragland, VGCC’s dean of business and applied technologies; and Stan Winborne, career and technical education director for Granville County Schools. (VGCC photo)

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and open house to celebrate the new Mechatronics lab on Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus, which is located between Creedmoor and Butner. Area residents and community leaders had a chance to take a closer look at the new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, which provides training for jobs in advanced manufacturing.

The event was the highlight of the Chamber’s “Sunrise Forum” meeting, held Nov. 14, in partnership with VGCC and the Granville County Schools Career and Technical Education Advisory Council. Attendees were first welcomed by Cecilia Wheeler, in her dual capacities as the president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce board of directors and dean of the college’s South Campus. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, also offered words of welcome. “Today’s event represents community partnerships,” Dr. Williams said. “We are delighted to work together with the Chamber, elected officials, public schools, economic development agencies and local businesses to prepare our students for careers and to grow our economy.”

Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC vice president of academic and student affairs, presented an overview of the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center and Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance, which involves the Career and Technical Education programs from Vance County Schools, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools and Warren County Schools.

Next, Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training, discussed the needs that local industries have for workers with advanced manufacturing skills.

Keith Shearon, who heads VGCC’s new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, said that his curriculum “blends the traditionally separate fields of mechanical, computer and electronic engineering to train a ‘super-technician’ who has skills in many different facets of manufacturing.” He detailed the college’s two-year degree program and the certificate programs that are in development. Shearon also encouraged local employers to provide VGCC with feedback to make sure that the college’s education and training programs meet their needs for skilled employees.

Following Shearon’s remarks and the ribbon-cutting, attendees toured the lab, which is stocked with state-of-the-art training equipment provided by grants from the U.S. Department of Labor’s TAACCCT program, the Duke Energy Foundation and the Golden LEAF Foundation.

For more information about Mechatronics, contact Keith Shearon at shearonj@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3541.