Gov. Easley Dedicates Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology

Central Piedmont Community College partnership helps N.C. compete in the global economy

Raleigh - Gov. Mike Easley today praised the Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology at Central Piedmont Community College for the cooperation it represents between education and business helping North Carolina attract 21st century jobs. The center offers cutting-edge training and instruction for technicians who need to update their skills as well as those who aspire to be automotive technicians.

”The Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology is much more than a place for education,” Easley said. ”It represents the kind of partnerships North Carolina needs to continue building among the growing business, education and economic development sectors so our state prospers in the global economy.”

The center, on Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus in Matthews, is a partnership between Rick Hendrick Automotive Group and the community college. The 34,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will serve as headquarters to many of the college’s training and re-training programs in automotive technology. Central Piedmont is the largest of the state’s 58 community colleges.

Central Piedmont’s automotive technology program offers the BMW associate degree program, where students receive advanced training on BMW’s newest models and systems. The community college partners with Toyota and Lexus dealerships to offer the Toyota Technical Education Network. The school also offers opportunities in General Motors Service Technician training, Toyota Satellite training and AC Delco training. In addition, Central Piedmont also offers North Carolina Automotive Safety and Emissions Inspections courses, an independent auto dealers certification, and customized electrical and hybrid courses.

The center is named in honor of the late Joe Hendrick, father of Rick Hendrick and a pioneer in North Carolina’s automotive and racing industries. The Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology serves more than 2,000 students per year.

Auto labor statistics indicate that during the next three years, nearly 160,000 qualified technicians will be needed in the automotive industry. A 2006 economic impact study on motorsports revealed the industry directly and indirectly provides nearly 27,000 jobs in North Carolina and generates an estimated $6 billion to the state.

North Carolina has the greatest concentration of motorsports businesses in the nation. The sector is one of the fastest growing and highest-paying industries in the state, with the average annual salary of $61,663 for those directly and indirectly employed in it, almost 80 percent above the state average wake of $34,270.