Posted on the WLOS News 13 website on August 21, 2025
Asheville, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has plans to train workers for the jobs of the future.
Buncombe County Commissioners are in support, approving a budget amendment for a $5 million grant match for the community colleges' "WNC Futures Factory Project".
A-B Tech wants to build a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing hub for research and workforce training.
A-B Tech’s president, Dr. Josh Gossett, said the innovation hub will prepare WNC’s workforce for the future and bring new jobs to the county.
“After the storm, so many businesses lost revenue and so many businesses quit, and a lot of workers lost their jobs. We need to not only reskill those workers, help rebuild those businesses, but prepare our workforce for the future,” Gossett said. “Artificial intelligence is really coming into play in all areas, in all business sectors. We have to be able to prepare our workforce in Western North Carolina for the future. A facility like this will do that.”
The community college is hoping to get approved for a $30 million grant from the Economic Development Agency to build the facility on 13 acres of land at Biltmore Farms.
Getting county commissioners to co-sign the application could help their chances, but county leaders have concerns about the center’s longevity.
“They want to ensure that this facility will not be built and not be empty, and then they’re obligated to maintain it, Gossett said. “They want to make sure we can generate enough money to sustain itself, and that’s the goal. To create enough revenue that it’s not an obligation to the county.”
The "Futures Factory Project" is a collaboration between five universities and five community colleges in the area.
A-B Tech will handle job training, and the other schools involved will have access to research and development.
Land of Sky has also played a part in this process, with dedicated staff to the facilities efforts.
A-B Tech will know in about six months if they’re approved for the grant.
A PowerPoint from A-B Tech that highlights building a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing hub for research and workforce training. (A-B Tech Community College)
A PowerPoint from A-B Tech that highlights the benefits of the 70,000-square-foot manufacturing hub for research and workforce training. (A-B Tech Community College)