Latest Wor-Wic Addition Eyes Fall Completion

BERLIN – April marks the one-year anniversary of Wor-Wic
Community College breaking ground on its newest building project – the
Workforce Development Center (WDC).

Since the $15 million project began, steady progress has
been made on exterior and interior construction of the 48,000-square-foot
building. With about 75 percent of the building complete and warmer weather in
store, the building is expected to be open for the upcoming fall semester.

Anyone interested can go to the college Web site at
www.worwic.edu/ About/ Construct ionProjects.aspx to see a streaming video of
the progress. The current construction stage includes the installation of metal
roofing and brickwork on the exterior, as well as framing, electrical and
security wiring, sprinkler lines, ductwork and drywall on the interior.

Special design elements such as large, south-facing,
storefront windows and a glass-front conference room, resource center and
student lounge area were included to bring an open, airy feel to the building.

The WDC will bring changes and advantages to the college
campus. Among the advantages will be a specially-designed lecture room, which
can be expanded to offer training to as many as 75 people at the same time, or
divided into three separate rooms to hold three varied but simultaneous classes
of 25 people in each.

New computer laboratories, suitable for demonstrating and
training in the latest software, will be available. Technology-enhanced
classrooms, also called smart classrooms, will create new opportunities in
teaching and learning by integrating networking, digital and audio-visual
technologies.

A kitchen and dining room dedicated to
hotel-motel-restaurant management (HMR) training will enable the HMR program,
which is currently operating out of the college’s Berlin-Ocean City
Instructional Center in Berlin, to relocate to the new on-campus facility.
Coinciding with the move will be the introduction of a new associate degree
program option in culinary arts.

The continuing education and workforce development
division, as well as the credit business department, will relocate from the
college’s Academic and Administrative Building to the WDC.