As part of the expansion of the machinist technology program at Rocket Center’s Robert C. Byrd Institute, some pieces of equipment will be moved to RCBI’s Bridgeport location.

Director Charlotte Weber said the changes are positive for the area because the equipment they are moving out “represents 10-year-old technology.”

“We’re moving that equipment out and taking a look at some new pieces of equipment to put in Rocket Center,” she said.

The program, which is being expanded to accommodate additional students, will train the students as machinists in preparation for living-wage jobs right here in the area, Weber said.

In response to a letter dated July 1 to small business owners announcing the change, Gary Howell, owner of Howell Automotive of Keyser, expressed concern that the loss of the equipment would place a burden on his business, which leases the equipment being moved.

“As near as I can tell, they’re not replacing it with comparable equipment,” he said, likening the change to the differences between a word processor and a manual typewriter.

Weber said that RCBI regularly takes a look at the equipment in all of the state centers to see if it is meeting the needs of area businesses.

“We do that very methodically,” she said, explaining that they hold focus group meetings with various affected businesses to determine “what kind of technical equipment it would take to enhance their business.”

“It’s really for the market to decide” what RCBI offers, she added.

Weber noted that RCBI Rocket Center still has a computer numerical control machine center with a CNC/manual machine and a computer-controlled autoclave.

Howell fears that the equipment remaining at Rocket Center will not be as up-to-date as the machinery being moved out.

“Is the equipment they’re moving out 10 years old? Yes, but it functions fine,” he said.

Calling the relocation of the equipment “a major loss,” Howell said that businesses located in and around larger cities like Bridgeport can look to private machine shops for the help they need, but “we really don’t have that here.”

The machinist technology program will be on display Tuesday when Rocket Center hosts an open house from 4 to 6 p.m., according to a press release from Charles T. Mitchell of RCBI.

“Individuals interested in the technical training program are invited to the session, which will focus on specialized, hands-on instruction at RCBI that prepares individuals for immediate employment and lifelong career advancement,” he said.

“Graduates will be on hand to discuss the benefits of the program, and prospective employers will have an opportunity to talk with future employees.”

The curriculum for the nationally recognized program will be reviewed during that time, according to Larry Cartmill, technical program recruiter at RCBI.

Classes begin Aug. 25 at RCBI’s locations in Rocket Center, Bridgeport and Huntington.

The Rocket Center facility is located in the Robert C. Byrd Hilltop Office Complex at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory off state Route 956.

The RCBI program boasts a 90 percent industry placement rate, with its graduates entering the work force earning wages from $10 to $16 an hour with benefits including retirement, stock options, health insurance and paid vacation, according to Mitchell.


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