Stronger Workforce, Greater Community: A Capital Campaign for the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center and Center for Excellence.
State Fair Community College is the economic engine for Central Missouri. Multiple programs in highly sought technical fields provide students with skilled, hands-on learning that lead to one- and two-year professional certificates or associate degrees.
Partnerships and collaborations with area industries help identify vital training opportunities and programs that meet and exceed industry standards to attract and sustain a skilled workforce. Industry partners provide input on curriculum, customized training opportunities for new and existing workers, mentorships, apprenticeships and jobs for students in all technical areas.
Efforts to maintain these career programs and partnerships require more resources, including physical space. The human resources and existing facilities are at capacity and, if the college is to continue offering these technical programs and fulfill obligations to industry partners, SFCC will need to increase its learning labs and services for in-demand fields such as welding and precision machining.
Especially during times of uncertainty, job security provides a comforting and stable
foundation for individuals and families to navigate life’s unexpected twists and turns.
However, for many people living in central Missouri, landing a secure job that provides a good wage may feel unobtainable.
At the same time, the largest barrier to workforce and economic expansion in the central Missouri geographic area is a limited pool of trained workers. Companies are anxious to invest in training, but doing so often requires them to shut down a portion of a building to facilitate training—reducing productivity and decreasing the bottom line.
To meet a growing demand for technical workforce training, SFCC seeks to build the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center and renovate a portion of the Fielding building into a Center for Excellence. These two facilities will increase the college’s capacity to deliver workforce training by 200% and increase enrollment by at least 120% in career and technical areas. The Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center will provide expanded lab and classroom spaces for training in welding, precision machining, industrial technology, leadership and supervisory skills and logistics. It also will house a new pre-apprenticeship program. Renovations to Fielding will provide a Center for Excellence to include a climate, refrigeration and energy control (HVAC) lab and advanced manufacturing and robotics lab.
Please consider being a part of this investment in the future by making a contribution to the new Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center and Fielding Center for Excellence.
