In a grand celebration befitting one of the community's premier educational institutions, Thursday's dedication ceremonies for Manatee Technical Institute's new main campus honored the many individuals who contributed to the creation of this state-of-the-art training center with a variety of ribbon cuttings.

The $44 million career and technical school opened its doors in January to great expectations and raves.

MTI is enjoying another milestone this year -- its golden anniversary. The school's Bayshore neighborhood campus opened in 1963.

With its new campus near Braden River High School and Interstate 70, MTI is poised to continue a tradition of excellence in workforce development. The school serves a diverse population from high school students to senior citizens with such programs as digital video, computer networking and web design; plumbing, auto mechanics and cosmetology, and adult education and personal enrichment programs.

As we opined in January as the new campus opened its doors to students, this is an impressive facility. Manatee County now stands at the leading edge of technical training.