Business leaders, elected officials and local educators celebrated the grand opening March 8 of St. Louis Community College’s new Corporate College in Bridgeton.
The college, formerly known as the Marcasco Building, is located at 3221 McKelvey Road in northwest St. Louis County.
“The Corporate College is an investment in our future,” said Myrtle E.B. Dorsey, Ph.D., STLCC chancellor. “This state-of-the-art facility provides a glimpse into the future economic landscape where a premium is place on knowledge workers and innovation.”
The Corporate College has nearly 30,000 square feet with 10 classrooms, including a 360-degree collaborative training space; four conference/break-out rooms, including two executive-level conference rooms; 175 seat multipurpose room; two computer training labs with a total of 36 stations; and testing/assessment center.
Purchased in 2010, SLCC was able to take advantage of a favorable real estate market and purchase this 150,000-square-foot facility for $5.5 million, which originally listed for $12 million in 2009.
With two-thirds of the facility currently leased to other businesses that will likely remain as tenants, the revenue generated should offset operating expenses.
In 2005, college leaders decided they needed a separate facility to meet the workforce demands and training needs in that particular area, according to the district.
“At the Corporate College, our goal is to leverage education to work for both businesses and individuals, because that is what a relevant, comprehensive community college must do to support its community and the economic development of our state,” Dorsey said.
The Corporate College also is home to the Workforce Solutions Group, formerly known as Workforce and Community Development, STLCC’s entrepreneurial workforce development arm that provides corporate and community services, and continuing education. The Workforce Solutions Group is the largest provider of training and consulting services in the St. Louis metro area, advancing nearly 25,000 employees from 100 local companies each year.
At the new facility, the Workforce Solutions Group will offer professional development opportunities, including industry-specific licensure, certification preparation and testing.
They will also feature a performance improvement program, including leadership, lean practices, six sigma, customer service and project management.
Its industry-specific seminar series will highlight critical issues such as electronic health records, cyber security, sustainable technologies, lean enterprise and supply chain management.
“This is a high-traffic corridor in close proximity to labor pools in north and west St. Louis County, as well as St. Charles County,” said Rod Nunn, the college’s vice chancellor for workforce and community development.
Nunn said there are 1,648 businesses, primarily small and non-manufacturing, in the area surrounding the center. They employ nearly 223,200 workers, many of whom live outside the STLCC service area.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley commended the college for creating new ways to connect educational opportunities with corporate partners and other working professionals through the Corporate College.
“It makes great sense to create this connection,” Dooley said. “The curriculum here matches the 21st century, and that is so important as we move forward in this economy. St. Louis Community College is doing an outstanding job in really making a big difference not just for students, but for adults and professionals as well.”
To learn more about STLCC’s Corporate College, visit www.stlcc.edu/CorporateCollege
