ETC turns focus to middle school students

Friday, March 16, 2007

The ETC is working with middle schools in Charles County as well as high schools to talk to students as early as possible and get them interested in engineering and science-related careers. Working with the College of Southern Maryland, University of Maryland and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, the ETC is hoping to implement a work force development program that enforces science, math and engineering.

‘‘When they graduate, the students will go on to get their associate’s and bachelor’s degree and then come here and partake in the high-tech jobs,” said Richard Nadolink, executive director of the ETC. ‘‘This region is an energetics center of excellence” when it comes to pyrotechnics, explosives and gun technology, he said.

Nadolink was speaking to the Western Charles County Business Association on Tuesday evening during its monthly meeting, held at the Citrus Café in Bryans Road. He said the ETC is currently housed in a temporary space on Centennial Street in La Plata, but by 2008 should move to a building of 50,000 to 60,000 square feet in Bryans Road.

Opened in October 2006, the ETC is working on various projects, including counter measures to incendiary explosive devices, one of the biggest dangers to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

‘‘The idea is that when real problems come to the United States, we’ll be in a much better situation to deal with them,” Nadolink said.

Also speaking were Charles County Sheriff Rex W. Coffey (D) and Charles County Chamber of Commerce President Gore Bolton. Bolton told the WCCBA that the chamber is working on three issues: work force development, strategic alliances with other agencies and member value to bring in more members to the chamber.

E-mail Carrie Lovejoy at clovejoy@somdnews.com.