Events
College Plans Major Expansion of Health Sciences Education Programs
November Bond Will Fund New Training Facility
RALEIGH, NC (October 18, 2022) – Wake Tech is planning a significant expansion of its Perry Health Sciences Campus to better meet the growing health care needs of the community. College leaders made the announcement today at a celebration marking National Health Education Week.
Wake Tech plans to build a 120,000-square-foot facility that will allow for the expansion of the college's high-demand nursing and other health sciences programs and make it possible to add programs in mental health, respiratory therapy, disability support and other areas. Wake County's population is growing by 62 residents per day.
"Wake County's population is not only growing," says Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls, "it's getting older. As one of our state's premier providers of health sciences training, we're committed to expanding capacity in order to prepare the many skilled professionals who are so vital to our longevity and quality of life."
A new health sciences facility is the key priority for the Wake Tech Workforce Forward Bond, which will be on the ballot in November. The $353 million bond will fund a four-year strategic plan for growth, which also includes the construction of a permanent Western Wake Campus in Apex and a new cyber/science training facility on the RTP Campus in Morrisville.
Plans for the Perry Health Sciences Campus facility feature a "simulation hospital" that will include human patient simulation, virtual reality, task trainers and computerized simulation. It will be equipped with a nurses' station, hospital rooms, control rooms and debriefing rooms. It will also house state-of-the-art labs for imaging programs, including Medical Sonography, Radiography, CT, MRI and Mammography.
"Our new building will be critical to taking Wake Tech's health sciences programs to the next level," said Provost Dr. Angela Ballentine. "The simulation hospital will allow students in multiple disciplines to learn in a real-life setting, while incorporating innovative new training technologies to prepare students for high-demand jobs."
Wake Tech's health sciences programs serve nearly 6,000 students annually. The Martha Mann School of Nursing is the largest Associate Degree Nursing program in the state, with more than 300 students enrolled every year. Many nursing graduates have multiple job offers when they graduate, and many are employed before they graduate. According to the University of North Carolina, the demand for registered nurses in North Carolina hospitals could exceed supply by nearly 10,000 in the next 10 years, and the Triangle will be among the regions with the greatest shortage.
If the Wake Tech Workforce Forward bond is passed, construction on the new facility and a 500-space parking deck should start in 2025, with completion expected by 2027. The campus was previously expanded in 2013.
Independent studies indicate that Wake Tech generates more than $1 billion for the local economy each year, with each dollar invested in Wake Tech generating more than $7 in added income and social savings. Previous bond referendums for Wake Tech were overwhelmingly approved by voters, most recently in 2018.
Wake Tech serves about 63,000 students each year, and this fall saw its largest enrollment in degree programs since the pandemic started. Approximately 75% of Wake Tech students reside in Wake County, and most remain in the region after graduation.
