April 14, 2022—In an effort to help fill jobs and garner interest in automotive repair around their county, Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina, has opened a state-of-the-art repair facility for its students.
According to an article by WRL, Wake Tech hopes that the new Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence, which opened its doors on Wednesday, will triple the number of students in their automotive systems technology program. They have even added a new degree program in collision repair.
Named after automotive industry legend Rick Hendrick, the $42 million facility has 16,500 square feet. It houses an automotive systems lab with 13 lifts and two wheel alignment machines. In addition, there is a 15,000 square foot collision repair lab with two frame straighteners, four paint booths and six lifts.
But it doesn't stop there. The Hendrick Center also includes a performance lab and testing rooms for transmissions and engines, three computer labs, a conference room, a welding lab and eight general classroom areas. The facility also has glass walls inside to allow visitors to watch the students train in real time.
