St. Louis’ quest to become a leader in high-tech manufacturing took a huge step forward on Tuesday when St. Louis Community College celebrated the opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing Center on the Florissant Valley campus.
The Manufacturing Center is one of six new buildings the College will open this year as part of its STLCC Transformed initiative, a commitment to modernize its four main campuses and programming throughout the district.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Center offers a synergy among nearly 20 programs and our faculty, staff, instructors and students, creating opportunities for collaboration that didn’t previously exist on this campus,” said Jeff L. Pittman, PhD, STLCC chancellor.
“In fact, students have already started using the center, attending classes in robotics, computer information technology, business, accounting, geospatial technology and engineering technology.”
The 96,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center at STLCC-Florissant Valley will combine short-term career training, degree and certificate programs in STEM and advanced manufacturing.
The center will house the College’s business and accounting programs, as well as STLCC’s new remote aircraft pilot certificate program. The campus includes an outdoor classroom with a large, netted enclosure for safe drone piloting practice. Another interesting feature of the new building is a suite for early college students.
“Through our dual enrollment and early college partnerships with area high schools, students can earn college credit or their associate degree at STLCC at the same time as their high school diploma,” said Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, EdD, campus president and chief academic officer at STLCC-Florissant Valley.
“Now our early college students have a modern, dedicated space to study, receive support, and connect with their peers that was specifically designed for their needs. Our students will be immersed in real-world learning scenarios that build their confidence and their competence. But it’s not just about preparing them for jobs. It’s also about supporting their education and career goals, as well as helping them succeed by meeting their needs in and out of the classroom,”
The Advanced Manufacturing Center will strengthen industry partnerships and align programming with workforce demands.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Center is designed for maximum hands-on training in many manufacturing and engineering technology fields. We are excited to add drones, GIS, surveying, and other programs,” said Tom McGovern, STLCC dean of industrial occupations, business and culinary.
“Visitors to the building can look directly into typical work environments and see the activities that students are engaged in.”
Boeing partnership
Boeing, which announced last week it had won a multi-billion contract to produce a new fighter jet, will have a presence at the center.
“This new facility will enhance our collaboration with St. Louis Community College and the pre employment program providing additional lab space…classrooms, hands-on training for students aspiring to build their careers in manufacturing. I expect our workforce pipeline in St. Louis to expand significantly because of this advanced manufacturing center,” said James Dewees, Boeing’s vice president of manufacturing and safety, air dominance division.
Dewees said through pre-employment training with students, more than 1,100 STLCC students have been hired as engineers and mechanics for the company’s defense aircraft products.
“This win will continue Boeing’s legacy of building and enabling the world’s best fighters and it helps secure our future as Missouri’s largest manufacturer for decades to come,” said Dewees.
In addition to the Advanced Manufacturing Center and the new Nursing and Health Sciences Center that opened to students on the Florissant Valley campus in February, STLCC will open four more new buildings and complete major renovations to existing spaces throughout the district.
The new buildings include a Health Sciences and Technology Center on the Wildwood campus, a Financial Services Education Center and an Emerging Technology Center at Meramec, and a Transportation Education Center on the Forest Park campus.
These new construction projects are covered by funds from Proposition R, an eight-cent tax levy approved by St. Louis City and County voters in 2021.
Advanced Manufacturing Center Facts
Start of construction: August 2023
Size: 96,000 square feet
Cost: $51.8 million
Architect: JEMA
Construction Manager: NAVIGATE Building Solutions
General Contractor: Kadean Construction Company