Education consulting company investing $1.5M in Pittsylvania County training center

An education consulting company specializing in curriculum development for K-12 programs in defense and advanced manufacturing industries will invest $1.5 million to establish a training center in Pittsylvania County.

The privately-owned TECHnista will create 15 jobs with the project, which will support the implementation of a five-year federal contract with the Department of Defense’s Office of Innovation Capability and Modernization.

Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for the project.

“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,” said Kelsey Robertson, the CEO of TECHnista, which was founded in 2020.

TECHnista creates curriculum and content for K-12 programs specific to the defense and advanced manufacturing industries. The middle school-focused manufacturing initiative, funded through ICAM’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, aims to attract students and impart to them the basic skills needed to succeed in advanced manufacturing careers.

The new facility in Pittsylvania County will serve as the National Training and Technology Center for the Manufacturing and Engineering Education Reimagined for All program, creating curriculum, distributing consumable material, and providing support for MEERA regional centers across the United States.

By 2029, the programs produced at the NTTC are expected to assist in training 110,000 students nationally per year.

“We are excited to bring our K-12 manufacturing education solution to fruition in Pittsylvania County,” Robertson said. “We feel confident that this region’s commitment to growing small businesses will play a key role in our success. We are deeply honored to have been offered support from Pittsylvania County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Gov. Youngkin. This award will serve as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of talent and create sustainable, high-quality jobs that will drive the region’s future growth.”