New technical education infrastructure is giving North Carolina students access to industry-focused training while creating a facility designed around regional workforce needs. Metcon Construction recently marked the opening of the new Robeson Career and Technical Education Center and Robeson Planetarium and Science Center in Pembroke.
The 110,000-square-foot facility represents an $87.2 million public school construction investment. The project was funded through a combination of state, county and local sources, including $62 million from North Carolina's Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund.
Designed by SfL+a Architects and constructed by Metcon Construction, the new facility provides specialized spaces for hands-on instruction and industry training.
Programs offered at the center include mechatronics, welding, automotive technology, drone technology, emergency medical technician training, culinary arts, computer and network engineering, drafting engineering, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical systems and digital media.
The facility also incorporates industry laboratories intended to provide opportunities for employers to participate in student training and establish connections with potential future workers.
The project combines traditional K-12 education infrastructure with specialized career and technical education spaces, requiring a construction program capable of accommodating laboratories, instructional areas and science-focused facilities within one campus.
The project was supported by $62 million from North Carolina's Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, supplemented by county and local funding. The investment places workforce-oriented educational infrastructure within a public school capital program.
For construction owners and public-sector project teams, facilities such as career and technical education centers can require coordination between educational programming, specialized equipment needs and building infrastructure. Planning for industry labs and technical instruction can also influence space requirements and building systems during design and construction.
The project opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Pembroke on Aug. 21, 2026.
The Robeson CTEC project demonstrates how public school construction can serve both educational and workforce-development objectives. Its specialized training spaces expose students to construction trades, engineering, technology, health care and other technical career paths.
For construction stakeholders, the project also illustrates the growing intersection between educational facility investment and workforce development. Public owners planning similar facilities must account for specialized training environments alongside conventional classroom and campus requirements.
Source: Metcon.
