MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – Meridian Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for its new Transportation Technology Training Center.
The center provides hands-on training in automotive and diesel technology, preparing students for careers in high-demand fields while helping meet the workforce needs of East Mississippi employers.
“While we’re certainly excited about this facility, the beautiful classrooms, the state-of-the-art equipment, what we’re really celebrating today is opportunity,” said MCC President Dr. Tom Huebner. “Opportunity for our students, for our local businesses and industries and opportunity for our region.”
Former auto shop renovated for new programs
The center is located in a renovated former automotive repair facility, formerly the College Park automotive building. It features classrooms and equipment designed to give students practical experience with the systems and technologies used in the transportation industry.
MCC’s Automotive Technology program prepares students for careers as automotive technicians and mechanics through hands-on instruction in diagnosing, servicing and repairing modern vehicles, including computer-controlled electrical systems. Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree through the program.
The college’s Diesel Mechanic Technology program offers a two-semester certificate that prepares students to maintain and repair commercial trucks, agricultural tractors, construction equipment and other diesel-powered machinery. Training covers engines, powertrains, hydraulic systems and other components, with instruction aligned with national certification standards.
The center also supports MCC’s broader plans for transportation technology education, including future opportunities in aviation maintenance.
Mike Acord, diesel technology instructor at MCC, said the program prepares students to enter the workforce.
“This program will help them be prepared to go into the real world and make a real good living,” Acord said. “I teach them that, hey, you can make money. You can save money. Because you can work on your own equipment and save money. You wouldn’t have to pay a repair facility.”
Funding and employer partnerships
The project was funded through a combination of state and federal investments, including a $2 million special state appropriation for construction, approximately $615,000 in federal funding for equipment and a $475,000 grant from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission’s State Economic and Infrastructure Development program. MCC was the only educational institution in Mississippi selected for funding during that grant round.
Through partnerships with nine employers, the center is expected to help address workforce shortages, support job creation and strengthen the region’s transportation industry. College officials project the center will support 159 new jobs and leverage $32.9 million in regional investment.
Josh Waters, vice president of WATERS International Trucks, Truck and Tractor, also spoke at the ceremony.
“What we have in this program will make a huge difference for our region,” Waters said.
“We’re preparing students to become the very professionals that industry needs,” Huebner said.
Enrollment
MCC capped diesel enrollment at 15 students this year but saw 19 applicants, leaving four on a waiting list.
Acord said the new facility allows for more hands-on instruction than the program’s previous location.
“Actually having room to spread things out to be able to have more hands-on,” Acord said. “Hands-on is where it’s at. You can talk about something all day long in the classroom. But until you put your hands on it, you really don’t understand it.”
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