While the ITC is a major leap forward for WVU Parkersburg students, it was built with the broader Mid-Ohio Valley in mind. The facility’ s doors are open to local businesses seeking workforce training, schools interested in STEM field trips and innovators looking for space to test ideas.
“ Economic growth doesn’ t happen in isolation,” Jackson says.“ We built the ITC to be a bridge between education and industry, a place where we can anticipate the skills our workforce will need and start building them today.”
The doors opened in August for the inaugural class of students to experience the new space. Moving forward, the ITC will host hackathons, entrepreneurship workshops and collaborative projects between students and local companies. The beautiful conference room spaces will bring the brightest minds from across the nation to the area. The addition of the residence halls, owned by the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, has allowed for students from all over to experience the handson learning of WVU Parkersburg in state-of-the-art facilities.
“ The residence halls open the door for more students to fully immerse themselves in their education,” says Olivia Reeder, president of the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation.“ Living steps away from the ITC allows them to take advantage of evening homework with peers, early morning study sessions and the kind of campus engagement that builds both academic success and lifelong connections. This housing is a powerful support system that helps students stay focused, involved and on track to graduate.”
The ITC isn’ t just a building— it’ s an economic development strategy. By training students in advanced manufacturing, engineering, IT and business entrepreneurship, WVU Parkersburg is positioning the Mid- Ohio Valley to compete for industries
that demand a skilled workforce.
In addition, the business incubators give local entrepreneurs access to tools, space and mentorship that might otherwise be out of reach. This support can shorten the time between idea and launch, helping small businesses grow faster and stronger.
“ Our hope is that five years from now, we’ ll see companies in the region that got their start right here in the ITC,” Jackson says.“ Whether they’ re building software, fabricating custom parts or offering tech support, they’ ll be creating jobs and keeping talent here at home.”
The ITC represents a milestone for WVU Parkersburg, but Jackson sees it as a starting point rather than an endpoint. Plans are already underway to expand programming, attract more industry partnerships and explore new fields such as renewable energy technology and artificial intelligence.
“ The real success of the ITC will be measured in the lives it changes,” Jackson says.“ Every student who learns a new skill, entrepreneur who launches a business or worker who earns a better job because of training they received here represents the impact we’ re after.”
The framed sheet of paper in Jackson’ s office is a reminder of how quickly a bold idea can become a reality when vision, resources and determination align.
The question may have been: What would you do with ten million dollars? The answer, however, has become a landmark achievement for WVU Parkersburg and the Mid-Ohio Valley.
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