Pittsylvania tapped as home for $1.5M+ training center

TECHnista, an education consulting company that develops curriculum for K-12 programs in defense and advanced manufacturing industries, will invest about $1.56 million to establish a National Training and Technology Center in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. 

The project, which is expected to create 15 jobs, will assist in the implementation of a five-year federal contract with the U.S. Department of Defense’s office of Innovation Capability and Modernization. 

Called the Manufacturing and Engineering Education Reimagined for All program, TECHnista’s middle-school manufacturing initiative seeks to attract students and equip them with skills needed for careers in advanced manufacturing. “These skills will propel the next generation of defense manufacturing workers,” the announcement from the governor’s office stated. 

By 2029, the programs produced at the National Training and Technology Center are expected to assist in training 110,000 students. 

“Our mission at TECHnista goes beyond building a successful business—we are committed to innovating K-12 education and strengthening local and national manufacturing workforce pipelines,” Kelsey Robertson, TECHnista founder and CEO, said in a statement. “We are excited to bring our K-12 manufacturing education solution to fruition in Pittsylvania County.”

Before launching TECHnista in 2021, Robertson taught math, science, and career and technical education at Pittsylvania County schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Averett University in 2015. 

TECHnista will lease-to-purchase a facility at 2311 Cane Creek Parkway in the Ringgold East Industrial Park owned by the Pittsylvania County Industrial Development Authority. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for the project. 

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Pittsylvania County and the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $50,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Pittsylvania County with this project and TECHnista is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, which provides grant-based incentives for job creation and redevelopment or construction of commercial or industrial sites.