Bevill State Receives $950,000 from State to Expand Mine Training Facility
June 11, 2019
The Alabama Legislature passed and Governor Ivey signed an Education Budget that includes $950,000 in funding to expand Bevill State’s mine training facility to include longwall mining training. Bevill State Community College is the only college in the state that offers Mine Technology curriculum.
“Bevill State Community College strives to set the standard of excellence for education, workforce training, partnerships and economic development in our service area. The Legislature’s support to expand the training opportunities provided by our mine training program is exemplary of government, education, and private industry working together to facilitate economic strength and development,” said Dr. Kim Ennis, President of Bevill State Community College.
"Bevill State's mine training center is a perfect example of how much can be accomplished when the private sector and colleges are working together. The coal industry is a driving force of our state's economy—it's an industry that employs thousands of Alabamians—and Bevill State's program gives young people the skills they need to earn a good living and support their families," Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed of Jasper said.
"I was honored to work with President Ennis to help secure these funds in the state education budget for Bevill State. This was an extremely busy legislative session, and the budget chairmen had a lot to weigh as they wrote the budgets, but I made sure legislators knew how important Bevill State's mine training center is to west Alabama and the entire state. I am very excited to see how this program expands in the coming years," Reed said.
Longwall mining is a highly productive coal mining technique. The expansion of the mine training center will enable all Underground New Miner Trainees to have a greater understanding of the extraction of the coal process from not only a continuous miner section but longwall mining as well. Miners will be shown the safest way to handle all aspects of tasks assigned. The focus of the training center is to instruct on safe job/procedures of how to do the job right with safety at the forefront. Protecting the health and safety of miners is the #1 priority.
Currently, the training center, located on the BSCC Sumiton Campus, has a mock continuous miner section where miners are trained on the safest way to build and maintain all of the necessary equipment. The expansion will give the training center a state-of-the-art mock longwall with all of the necessary equipment and processes, including a modern classroom inside the mine. The additions to the facility will make the center an incredible training venue for mine rescue team scenarios.
Bevill State Community College is a member of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). The ACCS is Alabama's gateway to first-class, affordable education and technical training to compete in a constantly evolving workforce. More than 168,000 Alabamians benefit from the various certification, credential, dual enrollment and degree programs ACCS offers alongside leading industry partners. ACCS is governed by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees.
"The Alabama Community College System is grateful for the Alabama Legislature's support of the education and workforce training programs our colleges provide across the state. Bevill State's Mine Technology Program is a key example of our successful efforts to work directly with industry to provide valuable, real-world training that prepares our students to be job ready on day one. This additional funding will ensure that Bevill's students continue to train on state-of-the-art equipment that mirrors the industry standard and ensures a smooth transition from classroom to industry,” stated ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker.
"This funding will expand one of our State's most successful workforce development programs. We appreciate the leadership of our legislative delegation who worked with the budget chairs and Governor Ivey to secure the resources that will make our mine training center one of the most advanced in the country,” stated Patrick Cagle, President of the Alabama Coal Association.
The expansion of this program will allow for training in an industry that currently provides high demand, high wage workforce opportunities. “Met coal is a Made in Alabama product that is quietly helping fuel our state’s economic engine,” said Cagle. “The industry’s impact is irreplaceable, from the thousands of high-paying jobs at underground met coal mines in the Tuscaloosa and Jefferson County area to generating almost half the revenue at Alabama’s Port.” Met coal exports accounted for 80 percent of Alabama’s total coal production in 2018, while steam coal accounted for the rest. The state has large reserves of both steam and high-quality met coal, with underground coal miners in the state enjoying a starting salary of $85,000.
"This is exciting news. The United Mine Workers of America represents over 1,500 workers at four mines across Alabama, and our number one priority is the safety of each worker. Bevill State's Mine Training Center plays an essential role in Alabama's coal economy, from the annual training offered to veteran coal miners, to the intensive training programs offered for workers just entering the field," said Larry Spencer, International Vice President for UMWA's District 20, which includes the entire state of Alabama.
"Senator Greg Reed has been a champion for Alabama's coal miners. There isn't a better friend in state government to the coal industry than Senator Reed, and I appreciate him working to secure these resources to expand Bevill State's Mine Training Center," Spencer said.
For more information contact Tana L. Collins at 800.648.3271 ext. 5742 or by email at tana.collins@bscc.edu. Please visit our website at www.bscc.edu.