Metcon Celebrates New Robeson Career and Technical Education Center and Robeson Planetarium and Science Center Ribbon Cutting
Pembroke, NC | August 21, 2026
The new Career and Technical Education Center and Robeson Planetarium and Science Center is designed to connect public education with workforce needs by providing high school students hands-on training, opportunities to earn industry credentials leading to high-demand career paths.
The 110,000-square-foot, $87.2 million high school was designed by SfL+a Architects and built by Metcon Construction. The project was made possible through a combination of state, county and local investment, including $62 million from North Carolina’s Needs-Based Public-School Capital Fund.
Robeson CTEC will prepare students in areas including Mechatronics, Welding, Automotive Technology, Drone Technology, EMT, Culinary Arts, Computer and Network Engineering, Drafting Engineering, Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical Systems and digital media. The facility also includes industry labs designed to create opportunities for employers to help train students and develop their future workforce.
“What makes this project truly special isn’t the building, and you can see that it’s an absolutely amazing building. But it’s what the building will do,” said Aaron Thomas, president and CEO of contractor Metcon and a Pembroke native. “Young people will walk in these doors and be exposed to welding, electrical, plumbing, automotive tech, mechatronics, engineering, health care, drone tech and opportunities that they may not even know exist until they’re here.”
For more on the Robeson CTEC, Planetarium and Science Center, go here.
