Local aerospace training center up for national award

Published 1:04 pm Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Open just six months, the aerospace training center at Everett’s Paine Field already is drawing national attention.

The Washington Training and Research Center is a finalist for the Bellwether Award from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida. The center was opened in June to provide training for the state’s aerospace industry.

The center is operated by Edmonds Community College, but was started through an agreement between Snohomish County and the Aerospace Futures Alliance. The center has received both local, state and federal funding.

The training center offers an Aerospace Manufacturing Core Certificate and an Aerospace Assembly Mechanic Certificate, which can be counted toward an associate’s degree.

Certificate programs take about 11 weeks to complete. New classes start Jan. 13. For information on classes, visit the center’s Web site.

Two other community college workforce development programs in Washington State are Bellwether finalists: Shoreline Community College’s “A Proven Partnership: Shoreline Community College and Automotive Manufacturers/Dealers,” and Bellevue College’s “It Takes a Village: Strategic Partnerships for Student Success.”