Regional Academy for advanced technology
Regional Academy HomepageIntroduction
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What is the Academy and who can apply?
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The goal of the Regional Academy for Advanced Technology is to maximize opportunities to prepare students for targeted careers, by breaking down barriers between traditional core academics and career and technical education; between high school and post secondary education and training, and between education and the workplace. This will be accomplished by improving the academic achievement of students and increasing utilization of dual enrollment courses in the secondary schools.
Virginia Western is the home of the Advanced Technology Center which houses equipment needed to educate students for highly-skilled job opportunities after high school or preparing the student for continuing their education after leaving Virginia Western. The Academy is located in one centralized location for Engineering and Advanced Technology in Mechatronics; the Culinary Arts Program is hosted by the Roanoke Higher Education Center. The Academy is designed for selected 11th and 12th grade students from local area high schools who are looking for dual enrollment opportunity and are highly interested in the technical areas. The Academy works with the Career Pathways concepts based on the concept that not all high school students need to attend a four year institution to be successful, but will need highly technical skills to be successful in the jobs that will be available to them in the future. It has been determined that 65-70 percent of students will need technical education beyond high school to be successful in the prime technical areas, but do not necessarily need a four year degree.
Students in these areas will hopefully adopt a life-long learning approach to their education, mainly because these areas are highly innovative and are changing continually. Additional training will be needed in these areas as technology changes and students will learn to understand that gradual on-the-job training will be essential for success in the course of their employment. To give you an idea of how fast technology is changing we have posted the "Shift Happens" video. This video has been widely used to stress how fast technology is changing in the world today. Also, a printable version of the brochure for the Academy can be found below.
Technology Summit - Friday, October 15, 2010
Each year the Business, Engineering and Technology Division hosts a Technology Summit for local 11th and 12th grade students from the region as well as VWCC students and Tech Scholars. The goal of the 2010 Technology Summit and Career Fair is to continue developing a career pipeline to meet both the current and future needs of regional business and industry. VWCC is expanding the Summit to include two distinct components for students:
- - Exhibits where businesses will showcase their company offering students an opportunity to interact with employers throughout the area;
- - A career fair specifically targeted to current Virginia Western students and alumni
This Summit is designed for 
students who are truly interested in technical careers. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions to 40-50 organizations that bring their company exhibits and information. They will also tour the Technology areas of the college with demonstrations in our Engineering, Technology, and Information Technology programs. They will learn about “real-world” experiences to prepare them to meet the need for the high-skilled, high-wage technical positions in our area. Our academy students will attend this summit and learn more about their future goals. Below is a video from the Tech Summit.
Region Academy for Advanced Technology Brochure 2010-2011
The Regional Academy for 2010-2011 will offer three programs:
Advanced Technology in Mechatronics (ATM)
Contact Us
Richard Clark - W 305B - Associate Professor Engineering
Daniel C. Horine - W 109 - Instructor Advanced Technology in Mechatronics
James J. Zeisler - Claude Moore Complex - Instructor Culinary Arts
Terry Drumheller - W 305C - Program Director
Business, Engineering & Technology Division - 540-857-7272
