Roanoke County Public Schools has opened a new career and technology center designed to give students hands-on training and prepare them for careers after graduation.
District leaders, educators and community partners gathered Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Roanoke County Career and Technology Center, located at 6305 Peters Creek Road. The facility is the result of years of planning and nearly two years of construction.
Superintendent Jamie Soltis said the center will help prepare students to meet the needs of businesses and industries across the region.
“We’re going to be able to produce the next generation of workers where business and industry, when they come here, will have a skilled workforce ready to step in and do the work,” Soltis said.
The center features programs in fields including culinary arts, welding and cosmetology. School leaders said the facility was designed around industry-standard equipment to give students experience with the tools and technology they may encounter in the workplace.
Partnerships with local businesses helped bring equipment into the building, and an endowment is intended to help keep it updated as technology changes.
Christian Kish, the incoming principal of the center, said school leaders also want to expand opportunities beyond traditional high school programs.
“We’d love to start adult ed programs. We’re looking to collaborate with local universities and colleges to do training in non-traditional school hours,” Kish said. “So we hope this place is humming for years to come.”
Soltis said the center will offer students another option as they consider their futures, emphasizing that success does not require the same path for everyone.
“There are multiple paths to being successful in life and the four-year college route is definitely right for some kids,” Soltis said. “Career and technical education is the right pathway for others.”
The new center is expected to welcome students in January. School leaders hope to expand its programs and partnerships over time, helping students develop career skills while supporting the region’s workforce needs.
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