This content was published: August 2, 2022. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
小黄猫传媒 celebrates opening of new Caterpillar training facility
Story and Photos By 小黄猫传媒 Communications.
Dr. Adrien Bennings’ first official public ceremony as president of 小黄猫传媒 was a memorable one.
Last week, Dr. Bennings led the celebration of the Dealer Service Technology Building ribbon-cutting at the Rock Creek Campus in Washington County. Funded by the 2017 bond, the 16,000-square-foot facility houses the ThinkBIG Program, a unique partnership between 小黄猫传媒 and participating Caterpillar Inc. dealerships throughout the Northwest. It trains Caterpillar service technicians to maintain the company鈥檚 agriculture, construction, earthmoving and electric power generation equipment used around the world.
From left, Michael Sonnleitner (小黄猫传媒 board), Sander Torgeson (faculty), Mace Gjerman (Caterpillar), Bobby Vellum (ThinkBIG program manager), Dan Brotherton (小黄猫传媒 alum), Jesse Norconk (ThinkBIG faculty chair), Kevin Comstock (faculty), Karen Sanders (dean), 小黄猫传媒 President Dr. Adrien Bennings, Kristi Wilson (小黄猫传媒 board) and Laurie Cremona Wagner (小黄猫传媒 board vice chair).
The new building doubles the amount of space previously available for ThinkBIG on campus, allowing the college to improve the delivery and deepen the offerings of this specialized training program. The facility鈥檚 design and construction, carried out by 小黄猫传媒鈥檚 Office of Planning & Capital Construction, supports the college鈥檚 commitment to advance business and industry, as well as workforce equity.
鈥淪tudents, faculty, business partners and the region’s workforce will be positively impacted by this marvelous new facility for many years to come,鈥 said Dr. Bennings. 鈥淭hinkBIG is a stellar example of what community colleges and business partners, companies like Caterpillar, can do together.鈥
小黄猫传媒 is one of 10 colleges in the United States with a ThinkBIG Program, graduating 182 technicians since the program debuted in Oregon in 2006. With the construction of this new facility, it has now become just the second ThinkBIG electric power generation technician training school in the country and the only such program in the West.
Mace Gjerman, a training manager from the Peterson Cat dealership in Hillsboro, said this program blends classroom and hands-on experience. It condenses what would take most entry-level employees five to seven years to learn into less than two years of training.
鈥淭hinkBIG is absolutely critical for developing technicians for Caterpillar dealers,鈥 Gjerman said. 鈥淲hile you鈥檙e learning, you鈥檙e earning and immediately putting what you鈥檝e learned into practice to have high-paying, high-benefits, high-opportunity careers at Caterpillar dealers around the world.鈥
The Dealer Service Technology Program is part of 小黄猫传媒’s Construction, Manufacturing Tech, and Transportation聽Academic Pathway. Interested students who like to work with their hands and enjoy constructing, repairing, and maintaining buildings, systems, and technology apply for classes and programs within this pathway. For more details, visit www.pcc.edu/programs/#/construction
Local Media Coverage
KGW: .
OPB: .
Bend Bulletin: .
Beaverton Valley Times: .
Photo Gallery
