HUNTINGTON -- The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing has enrolled a record number of students in the 2009-2010 classes, according to Director and CEO Charlotte Weber.

With classes now being conducted at four locations, total enrollment has risen to 41, a 16 percent increase over last year's figure.

The 2009-2010 group ranges in age from 18 to 40-plus years, including several displaced workers who are retraining and two women. For the first time, Machinist Technology Program classes are being taught in Wheeling in partnership with West Virginia Northern Community College and Wheeling Park High School.

"The cooperation we've received from WVNCC officials and those at Wheeling Park has been outstanding as we proceed jointly to broaden the range of workforce programs available in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle and the immediate region," Weber said in a press release.

The program also is being conducted at RCBI Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers in Huntington, Bridgeport and Rocket Center.

RCBI provides access to cutting edge technology and technical training to manufacturers across the region. Its mission includes developing a quality, just-in-time supplier base for the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the commercial sector, the release said.

Weber also reported increased part-time enrollments and first-time, full-time enrollments in advanced CNC (computer-numerical-control) machining courses in several locations. Participants in these programs will earn their national CNC certifications from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills and are eligible for academic credit from MCTC in Huntington.

Weber credited the RCBI staff for this year's growth in the Machinist Technology Program.

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