Trade Programs: Advanced Welding Lab
Founded in 2015, The BTEC Advanced Welding Lab is a joint project between the Botetourt Education Foundation, Botetourt schools, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and local businesses and industry in an effort to bring state-of-the art training and workforce development skills to the area in support of local business needs for skilled workers.
The new lab leveraged unused space at the Botetourt Education and Training Center and furnished it with the most up-to-date welding equipment, funded entirely by the project partners and local businesses. BCPS and DSLCC provide funding for faculty to support the program.
Botetourt Education Foundation (BEF) took the lead in acquiring funding for the new lab that is part of the school division’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Over $500,000 was raised in support of this program, reinforcing the value to the community and businesses in our area.
The BTEC welding program is dual enrolled through DSLCC.
Technology
When the school division started providing Chrome Books for high school students through the division’s One-To-One initiative in 2015, the BEF provided the protective covers for the computers and has provided a variety of software for classroom use.