In the Tri-Cities area especially, there was historically a strong commitment to basic literacy among adult workers, workplace preparation, and vocational education. In fact, the seeds of the community college and vocational training had been sown in Rockingham County over many decades. The IEC in Leaksville operated successfully for the next eight years before it was phased into Rockingham Community College. In addition to textiles, he found that there was a great demand for employees in electronics and automobile mechanics. Not only would young men learn the basic machinery, according to the first director, Henry Rahn, but they would learn the skills needed for successful work in the mills and advancement “up to positions of supervisory responsibility.” To ready the IEC for opening, Rahn made a job-needs survey of over 150 industrial and commercial businesses in the county. Located in a community with numerous mills, the IEC’s course in textiles was a featured program. Upon completion of the two-year training, graduates earned certificates that they might present to potential employers. To enroll in the program, students had to pass a standardized aptitude test and have at least eight high school units, two of them in math. ![]() ![]() To “reach the man-on-the job as well as high school youth” all across Rockingham County, the IEC offered classes in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. At a cost of $150,000, the Leaksville Industrial Education Center was constructed adjacent to Morehead High School and opened in 1958.
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