2023 NCATC President's Message

Q2-2023

Our work at the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers seemed pretty clear until recently when we asked ourselves, “What, exactly, is an Advanced Technology Center?”

During the planning and building of our center here at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in North Carolina, I visited 19 ATCs nationwide to learn best practices in programming, building design, equipment optimization, and educational innovations. That process informed our conversations with architects, faculty, and funders as we built a beautiful and highly functional building.

Upon reflection, however, I’ve learned that our center is more than a building full of state-of-the-art classrooms and modern equipment. Its success is built on a culture of manufacturing excellence.

We instill the values of precision, safety, quality, authenticity, and pride into every program, every class, every lesson, and every graduate. We believe in the importance of what we do to create opportunities for employers to profit and grow, for students to learn and prosper, and for communities to thrive. We know that the relationships we build and the culture we foster are as important as the technical skills we teach.

Advanced Technology Centers can (and do) happen anywhere—in buildings both old and new. Effective ATCs focus on building deep partnerships with employers to meet challenging skill gaps, to provide equitable access to training and jobs, to promote work-based learning strategies, and to focus on competency-based instruction.

This realization has impacted NCATC’s Board of Directors as well. This has resulted in a re-alignment and simplification of our membership levels to align with the notion that Advanced Technology Centers are not buildings, they are cultures.

Starting this July, we will have one level of institutional membership for all colleges, whether they have an active ATC or they are working towards one. The key element is not bricks and mortar, it’s culture and shared values. This will not only simplify our membership levels, but it will help our members align along what makes us valuable and strong. You’ll see this new, simplified structure in your next membership renewal, but rest assured it won’t result in any fee increases to any of our colleges.

It's my pleasure to serve as NCATC’s president for 2023, and I encourage you to reach out to me with any suggestions, questions, or comments. 

Craig Lamb 

2023 NCATC President