Danville Community College (DCC) and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) embarked on a workforce development project commonly referred to as Capstone in the community. Capstone or the Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining is a third year advanced machining program for students looking to build upon skills learned during their first two years at DCC.
The program is currently in the third year and in addition to offering young people the expertise to obtain highly compensated employment, the program has become an important part of the region’s economic development efforts.
Companies are being attracted to this pipeline of advanced machining workers. This is evidenced by the recruitment of three overseas companies including Kyocera SGS Tech Hub, Overfinch, and Unison. Kyocera is building their beautiful facility directly across from the IALR entrance. In addition, IALR is housing their start-up manufacturing, office and conference space in our facilities during the build-out. 
According to Jason Wells, President, the KYOCERA SGS Tech Hub is a strategic investment of the global KYOCERA Corporation to create an advanced research and manufacturing division focused entirely on creating intricately designed specialty cutting tools and unique engineered application solutions around the products for advanced manufacturing companies found primarily in the in Aerospace, Medical, Power Generation, and Automotive industries. The cutting tools and solutions created in this division are intended to be used primarily in metalworking and advanced materials for industrial applications.
