PJC-Greenville Center opens new workforce training facility
Published or Revised October 03, 2024
PJC faculty and staff joined with Greenville and Hunt County community members to celebrate with a ribbon cutting the official opening of the new workforce training facility. Craig Driggers, L3Harris Director of Operations Management and a proud PJC alumnus, offered comments, and attending members of the PJC Board of Regents posed with PJC President, Dr. Stephen Benson, after the ceremony. At bottom left, from left are Regent Charles Lynch, Regent Vice President Dr. Clifton Wilkerson, Regent Secretary Berdie Gibson, PJC President Dr. Stephen Benson, and Regents Dr. Linda Kapp and Ginna Bowman. See more photos at https://bit.ly/3Ne3WLu.
With the cut of a ribbon, the new workforce training facility at the Paris Junior College - Greenville Center officially opened Monday, September 30, 2024. The ribbon cutting was part of the official dedication and Open House held for the public.
“Welcome to our celebration of our 100th Anniversary and grand opening of this new workforce center,” said Dr. Stephen Benson, PJC President. “This investment in the Greenville Center represents Paris Junior College’s commitment to the community and the business community. This state of the art training facility will help us meet the demands of local business and industry. We have great partners here in Hunt County and Greenville.”
The new training facility matches the original building’s exterior and is slightly over 23,000 square feet. Large bays house four programs, and the facility has been designed to match industry needs as those change over the years.
Initial workforce programs housed in the new facility are mechatronics (including an industrial maintenance apprenticeship in partnership with the Greenville Board of Development); heating, air conditioning and refrigeration; electrician; and a new airframe maintenance program.
“I’m standing here to thank some people,” said Craig Driggers, L3Harris Director of Operations Management and a proud PJC alumnus. “I’m from Greenville. I went to high school here and took my college classes here and today I get to be part of something unique from the last 24 months with a group of people with a vision to bring aircraft mechanics back to Greenville. We’ve started two programs: a pre-apprentice program touching all ten of our ISDs and most importantly, we have this fantastic facility that’s going to execute the aviation program. The only thing missing for me is a couple of hundred students in there, learning aviation, so thank you.”
The PJC-Greenville Center is located at 6500 Monty Stratton Parkway. The new facility is to the west of the original building.
“This is just the start of helping fuel the local economy and improve the quality of life here in Greenville and Hunt County,” said Benson.