Baltimore County, Md. – Community College of Baltimore County will host a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on its new Welding and Trades Center at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, CCBC Dundalk, 7200 Sollers Point Rd., Dundalk, Md. The new facility represents a $13.3M investment in workforce development and will significantly expand CCBC’s capacity to train students for high-demand careers in welding and trades. Joining CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis to break ground include Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, local legislators, funders, members of the CCBC Board of Trustees and the college community.
Designed to support hands-on, industry-aligned training, the building will include a large welding laboratory, a classroom area, a virtual reality lab for instruction and career exploration and a storage yard for equipment. The center will also feature offices for program administration as well as a locker room and lounge for students.
The project is being designed by Whitman, Requardt and Associates, LLP, with Whiting-Turner Contracting serving as construction manager.
“This new center strengthens CCBC’s commitment to preparing students for well-paying, in-demand careers that are critical to our regional economy,” said CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis. “By expanding access to cutting-edge training facilities, we are helping meet the workforce needs of local industry while opening doors of opportunity for our students.”
Funding for the Welding and Trades Center comes from a combination of CCBC, Baltimore County and philanthropic partners. CCBC is providing two-thirds of the funding with the remaining support coming from Baltimore County and private donations including $1 million dollar contributor, the Baltimore Community Foundation, along with the Radcliffe Foundation, the Middendorf Foundation and the CCBC Foundation.
Construction is expected to begin in May of this year with completion projected in the spring of 2027. Welding and trades courses are expected to launch at the new facility in the summer of 2027. CCBC will continue its long-standing training partnership with Earlbeck Gases & Technologies for welding instruction at the company’s Rosedale facility as well as at the new center at CCBC Dundalk.
For details about CCBC’s welding program visit ccbcmd.edu/welding.
About the Community College of Baltimore County (www.ccbcmd.edu)
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, more than 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2025 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.
