Cloud County Community College Breaks Ground on New Technical Education & Innovation Center
Cloud County Community College trustees, administration, faculty and supporters broke ground Wednesday, March 29th on the college's new Technical Education and Innovation Center on the college's Concordia campus.
Cloud County Community College President Amber Knoettgen said she's honored and excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of this monumental facility.
Knoettgen said the groundbreaking ceremony is a culmination of the dedication and collaboration of their local and statewide partners who support maintaining a vibrant workforce for rural Kansas.
The Technical Education and Innovation Center will house Renewable Energy, which includes Wind and Solar Energy and Drones; Nursing and Allied Health, which also offers high-demand career education for EMT, CNA, CMA, Home Health Aide, and IV Therapy; and Agriculture and Industrial Technology, including welding and CDL training.
College Trustee Bruce Graham says this state-of-the-art facility will benefit not only their students, but allow Cloud to continue as a leader in providing a highly trained and qualified workforce.
Graham is the former Wind Energy Department Chair at Cloud County.
The college's Renewable Energy curriculum blends on-campus, online and distance learning, land-lab, and field training opportunities for traditional and non-traditional students. Graham says this new building, located along College Drive between the College and Walmart, will greatly enhance this educational program.
The Nursing Department at Cloud County Community College prepares students to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS) degree. At the completion of the program students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN to practice as Registered Nurses. Nearly 1,200 nurses are graduates of this program with a large majority of them practicing in North Central Kansas and South Central Nebraska.
Cloud County Community College has prepared students to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS) since 1978, with recent expansion to offer two degree completion options.
With an escalating emphasis on higher education in nursing, College Director of Nursing and Allied Health Stefanie Perret says the new Center will house their state-of-the-art simulation training center.
The Agriculture and Industrial Technology programs at Cloud County provide a hands-on learning lab for students in "ready for work" programs.
The Agriculture Department includes the principles of animal care, crop and vegetable farming, marketing of farm products, sustainable practices, and large property management.
Certificates in the areas of Production and Services, and Precision Agriculture can be completed in one year or less and can be a starting point for a two-year degree.
Jamieson Gross, Department Chair for the Agriculture Department, says the addition of the Technical Education & Innovation Center also will allow them to offer certificates for a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) and Welding.
Funding for the Center has come from the following partners and grants: $4 million in ARPA funds; $1 million from the Sunderland Foundation; $500,000 from The Patterson Family Foundation; $1 million from the Salina Regional Health Center and Foundation; $1.5 million from the Cloud County Foundation Board; $40,500 in tax credits; $10,000 from ITC Holdings; and $10,000 from Central National Bank.
Heather Gennette, Executive Director of the College Foundation, says they've been blown away by the support the Technical Education and Innovation Center has received.
Fundraising for the $18 million project is still underway. Gennette urges anyone who is interested to contact her as soon as possible.
The board of trustees voted to approve the first bid package for the new facility in December 2022. The first bid package included items vital to the construction and purchase of essential products to avoid significant shipping delays and to reduce increased costs from rising inflation, at a cost of $9,967,076.
The second bid package of $6,460,029, approved during the board's regular meeting this week, covers costs for metal stud framing and drywall, masonry, metal wall panels, roofing, doors, flooring, painting and wallcoverings, furnishings and fire protection.
Construction on the new 33,725-square-foot Center will begin next week.