Topping-Out Ceremony Held At Workforce Training Center

Dozens of UACCM employees, students and community leaders visited the Workforce Training Center construction site on April 24 for a topping-out ceremony where visitors signed and watched a beam be installed atop the central section of the new building.

UACCM Chancellor Dr. Larry Davis opened the ceremony by thanking donors and community leaders for their contributions and support for the project, including the nearly $3 million already raised. Nabholz Construction of Conway, the company which began work on the site in late 2016, was also acknowledged. 

“This is a great, great day for UACCM,” Davis said. “I’ve been looking forward to this particular ceremony for a long time.”

Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart, Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer, and Jerry Smith, head of the Conway County Economic Development Corporation, all complimented the success of the project and expressed excitement about how it would not only benefit Morrilton, but the six-county service area that UACCM provides for.

“This is huge for workforce development, to have a facility like this to show off to our prospects,” Smith said. “You just couldn’t have anything better than this.”

The 53,000-SF project, located on the west end of UACCM’s campus, brings together technical training programs, UACCM workforce development, and an adaptable training space for new and existing businesses into one easily accessible location. The building will house the largest welding training facility in Arkansas, along with several labs for industrial mechanics and maintenance, HVAC, and automotive repair classes. In addition to allowing UACCM to double student enrollment each year, more faculty and staff will be added after the building is expected to be completed next spring, followed by classes beginning as soon as the fall 2018 semester.