Blue Ridge Community and Technical College (CTC) has opened a new plastics manufacturing training lab in the US state of West Virginia, giving students and industry employees access to blow moulding, injection moulding and simulation technology.
The Plastics Manufacturing Training and Education Lab at the college’s Technology Center in Martinsburg was developed in response to demand from local and regional manufacturers for skilled workers. The college describes it as the only plastics manufacturing training lab of its kind in the state.
The facility includes a Kautex Maschinenbau Model KCC Hydraulic Motion extrusion blow moulding machine, a Nissei America ASB-12M stretch blow moulding machine, and a Husky Hylectric 4.0 injection moulding machine.
A Kautex virtual machine training system allows students to practise operating and troubleshooting blow moulding equipment in a simulated environment before working on production machinery.
‘Hands-on training’
“I don’t believe there are many other institutions, if any, that have a simulator like this,” said Anne Myers, executive director of business development and community advancement at Blue Ridge CTC.
“It allows us to do hands-on training before students ever touch a machine. They learn to follow protocols and become comfortable before starting real work.”
The simulator is already being used by industry, with Logoplaste using it to upskill existing employees and onboard new hires.
The lab was officially opened in August, with representatives from Procter & Gamble (P&G), Technimark, Logoplaste, Rubbermaid, Parker Plastics and Southeastern Container attending.
The college has developed its plastics manufacturing programmes in partnership with industry, allowing employers to work with faculty on training designed around manufacturing requirements.
Digital modelling and simulation
Blue Ridge CTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Plastics Engineering Technology, as well as skillsets, micro-credentials and certificates. The programmes are available to existing and prospective students, high school students and adults.
The degree programme incorporates access to plastics processing equipment, digital twins and simulation technology, as well as materials science.
Jean-Luc Azzani, senior director of R&D at Procter & Gamble, said the programme would give students access to machinery and digital modelling and simulation while developing their understanding of materials science.
P&G, Logoplaste and Technimark had previously operated from the Technology Center, providing an established relationship between the college and local industry.
“We first started meeting with P&G a few years ago,” said Myers. “The pandemic slowed this project down a bit, but we kept working to create a plastics manufacturing and training lab and finally had the funding and equipment to open its doors.”
Supporting the manufacturing sector
The college said the facility is intended to support the wider manufacturing sector in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia rather than only the companies involved in its development.
Students can also undertake internships with local manufacturers, providing practical experience alongside their studies.
Dr Peter Checkovich, founding president of Blue Ridge CTC, said: “The foundation of gainful employment for students is built through responsive business partnerships.
“For students, this lab represents the opportunity for a lucrative career. For business and industry, this programme creates a pipeline of skilled professionals to meet workforce needs.”
The new training facility comes as the US plastics industry supports more than one million direct jobs. Plastics manufacturing accounted for 774,200 jobs in 2025, with employment in the sector increasing by an average of 0.8 per cent a year between 2015 and 2025, according to the Plastics Industry Association.
