Workforce development facilities can create broader regional value when education, economic development, and community priorities are planned together.
The CVCC Dale Earnhardt Regional Innovation Complex in Hickory, North Carolina, demonstrates what can happen when partners align around complementary goals. The center brings together Catawba Valley Community College, the City of Hickory, and the Hickory Aviation Museum in a shared destination that advances workforce development, preserves local history, and strengthens Hickory Regional Airport as a regional asset.
Rather than pursuing separate initiatives, the three partners combined resources, expertise, and funding to create a facility serving students, employers, residents, and visitors.
One Facility. Multiple Impacts.
The partnership strengthened the case for investment by connecting several regional needs within one project. It helped secure $15 million in state funding for the education component, while the City of Hickory and the museum raised an additional $5.7 million for the museum. A contribution from The Dale Earnhardt Foundation provided further support for the workforce training center.
McMillan Pazdan Smith’s higher education and civic and cultural teams worked together to translate the partners’ individual requirements into a cohesive environment. Flexible classrooms, simulation spaces, and hands-on technical labs support workforce programs identified through an analysis of labor demand, employer input, and projected industry growth. The museum provides a permanent home for an extensive collection of military aircraft and aviation artifacts, creating new opportunities for tourism and public engagement.
Adaptive Workforce Training
The building was also designed to change alongside regional workforce needs. Adaptable training zones, movable partitions, large equipment doors, and flexible utility systems allow programs and equipment to evolve over time.
For communities, developers, and educational institutions considering a similar workforce development investment, the project offers a useful model: identify complementary needs, build a shared case for funding, and design for both current priorities and long-term change.
In the article for GroundBreak Carolinas, Jana Gottlieb, Higher Education Practice Leader and Principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith, explores how the partnership came together and how the design balances education, museum operations, public access, and future flexibility.
Another article in State Aviation Journal details how the center was thoughtfully designed to blend aviation history with modern workforce development.
