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COST ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPING AND OPERATING SMALL TRAINING CENTERS

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  701P0104,  . (doi: 10.13031/2013.15827)
Authors:   N. E. Deal, D. L. Lindbo, J. Tanner, M. T. Hoover
Keywords:   Training Centers, Economics, Training, Education, Onsite Wastewater, Decentralized Wastewater

Training centers for onsite wastewater are being built throughout the country at an increasing rate. With this growth comes the need to assess the economics of these centers in order to improve the chances for their success. In North Carolina there are currently five training centers of variable size and design. The largest center is in Raleigh and is a direct outgrowth of the first training center in the country. The smallest is in a highly urbanized area adjacent to the county Cooperative Extension Offices. This study focuses on the three medium-sized training centers in the state. Analysis of income vs. cost (construction and operation) shows that all of these training centers are marginally profitable. The differences among the profitability of the centers are related to the demographics of the region each center serves. In sparsely populated northeastern NC the training center has a much harder time attracting practitioners than the centers located near Asheville and Wilmington. In the end the success of a training center may rest on population density and location rather than on the instructors or programs offered.

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