Governor Pat McCrory joined business leaders and other elected officials on Wednesday to break ground on an expansion for Wake Technical Community College.
Wake Tech President Stephen Scott said the new campus in the Research Triangle Park will focus on job training for workers looking to move into high-tech industries.
"The first wave of students will probably be people who are already working, and they've reached a point where they can't progress or they're not making enough money," said Scott. "Information technology looks interesting to them."
Classes at the Morrisville location will focus on information technology, computer programming, data storage and business analytics. The curriculum is designed in collaboration with RTP employers to help mid-career workers learn new job skills.
"Education is no longer a vaccination," said Scott. "In other words, you can't go twelve years and think that's enough education to last you the rest of your life. The reality is, there are so many changes coming in the economy that people will have to keep retraining all their lives."
The first phase of the RTP campus will serve more than 1,350 students.
Wake County voters approved a bond to fund the $47 million dollar expansion back in 2012, but the recession delayed construction for several years. The new campus is scheduled to open in the spring of 2018.