SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — BridgeValley Community and Technical College is putting the finishing touches on a new training program in partnership with GreenPower Motor Company.
Laura McCullough, Vice President of Workforce at BridgeValley Community and Technical College (BVCTC) told 580-WCHS on Tuesday the college plans to have an event the week of January 31 to roll out details about its employee recruitment and training partnership with the company and West Virginia’s Workforce Development Board.
GreenPower announced last week it signed an agreement with the state to lease/purchase a 9.5-acre manufacturing facility in South Charleston, including an 80,000-square-foot building, where the company will manufacture zero-emission, all-electric school buses.
A release from the governor’s office said, “GreenPower will partner with West Virginia’s Workforce Development Board and BridgeValley Community & Technical College for employee recruitment and training. Additional details on this aspect of the project will be provided in the future.”
The release further stated the operation will bring up to 200 new jobs to the state when manufacturing begins later this year, with the potential workforce to eventually reach up to 900 new jobs when full production is reached in 24 months.
McCullough said BVCTC, which is located in South Charleston, has been on the radar of GreenPower for a while.
“They came and toured the Advanced Technology Center this past summer. They had preliminary meetings and the company is now working out all the details,” she said.
McCullough said this is part of BVCTC’s brand of being in the community and cited working relationships with CAMC, Thomas Health, Toyota, among others.
She suggested that anyone interested in the potential of training and working for GreenPower to begin the registration process with BVCTC ahead of the announcement.
“The community part of our mission includes not only the people that live in our region but the companies that provide jobs here. We have a strong technical workforce component. We provide training for the workforce for the major companies in our area,” McCullough said.