Anderson's new career center is open for students.

• Date: 04 September 2019

The Anderson Institute of Technology opened its doors to students in August. The $34 million, 120,000-square-foot facility was six years in the making and was made possible through a voter-approved penny sales tax increase.

It's difficult to miss the career center on Pearman Dairy Road, near Tri-County Technical College's Anderson campus. The large new structure houses classrooms, offices, $6.5 million in equipment, labs and a 6,000-square-foot automotive bay, according to Kyle Newton, assistant superintendent of Anderson District 5. Students from four high schools will attend classes and labs at the center Crescent, Pendleton, Westside and T.L. Hanna.

"There are three kinds of students who will come here," Newton said. "Some will start working after graduation. A lot of students will come here then walk across campus to Tri-County Tech to study, and others will go on to a four-year institution. There's something for them here regardless of their path skills they can use.

"The great thing is, the equipment the...