Big Sandy Community & Technical College Celebrates Grand Opening of New State-of-the-Art Welding Facility
Prestonsburg, KY – Big Sandy Community & Technical College (BSCTC) proudly celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new Welding Facility with a special event featuring BSCTC Interim President/CEO Dr. Todd Brand, Kentucky State Representative Bobby McCool, and several distinguished faculty and staff members.
The new lab represents a significant leap forward for the college’s Welding Program, offering cutting-edge training opportunities and access to global technology. BSCTC Welding Instructor Scott Linkous said, “This new lab brings more diverse students—those who may not want to work out in the cold or heat but still want to be in the welding field. The new technology is huge for our students, business, industry, and community. We’re one of the first schools on the East Coast to have this robot technology.”
The facility is equipped with the latest advancements in welding, including a state-of-the-art cobot robot welder, which Linkous called the lab’s highlight. “All of our new equipment is the newest technology in welding,” he noted.
The AWS-accredited testing facility—one of only three in the state of Kentucky and recognized globally as a pinnacle of weld testing—will provide exceptional opportunities for the students to earn industry-recognized certifications while also generating revenue for the college through testing services offered to businesses and industry partners.
The addition of robotic welding—specifically the globally used Fanuc robotic system—opens countless doors for BSCTC students. “The opportunities are endless,” Linkous said. “Our students can work and travel to any company they want to work for. Fanuc is a worldwide manufacturing company.”
The grand opening marks a transformative moment for technical education in Eastern Kentucky, positioning BSCTC as a leader in advanced manufacturing training and workforce development.
