ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – A vacant warehouse in Franklin County will soon transform into a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) facility for high school students, alongside a public safety office and 911 call center.
“We’re excited about this project. It will allow us to expand our current programs and also develop new programs for the students,” said Dr. Kevin Siers, superintendent of Franklin County Public Schools.
The facility aims to expand career opportunities for students through new programs including welding, cosmotology and mechatronics. “A lot of our students go into the career field right out of high school and there is a high demand for students to have these types credentials early on in their lives,” Siers said.
Franklin County Board of Supervisors member Dan Quinn has championed the project since its inception, emphasizing the importance of business community involvement.
“We need to bring businesses into this and have them share what all they need so that we make sure we are teaching the students the courses they need to hire these kids,” Quinn said.
Students are already seeing the value in career and technical education programs. Senior Elan Catoe said, “It just gives me the best opportunity to have a broader range of life skills.”
Catoe highlighted the practical benefits of hands-on learning opportunities. “They can get down here. Do some hands on work. It keeps them out of trouble and it just shows them there’s more opportunities in life than behind a book,” he said.
The project, which will include both the CTE facility and emergency services center, is expected to take approximately three years to complete once designed, with an expected cost just under $40 million.