Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Belleville News-Democrat.
In an effort to fill job openings in the precision machining industry, Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville is building a $20 million manufacturing training academy to prepare students for the workforce.
Construction on the building is expected to be finished in September. After the academy is outfitted with equipment, it will be open for students in August 2024.
Brad Sparks, the dean of Technical Education and Workforce Development at SWIC, said students will learn skills that could land them jobs that pay $35 an hour, with the possibility of getting six-figure salaries with experience.
“These are living wage, raise a family, buy a house, get a nice truck kind of jobs,” he said.
And he said there are job openings ready for students with precision machining training.
“Manufacturing is a huge industry in this region,” he said. “It’s one of the largest manufacturing hubs in the country.
“If you look at the number of mid-sized and larger manufacturers we have here, those employers are clamoring for programmers and operators of this type of equipment.”
Sparks said SWIC already offers precision machining training at its Granite City campus.
One of the “biggest challenges” SWIC has in the program is keeping students to graduation because the employers want to hire them before they graduate, Sparks said.
Some of the training expected to be available for students will be metal 3D printing, robotics and “CNC,” or computerized numerical control machinery used to make parts.
“Students will receive training to safely set up and operate machine shop equipment such as lathes, mills, drill presses, grinders and computer numerical control (CNC) machines for business and industry,” according to the school’s website.
Students in the college’s precision machining program have won national awards in competitions sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.
In May 2022, a SWIC team won first place in the department’s Project MFG national competition and had a top four finish this year, Sparks said.
The school said the estimated cost of a two-year associate’s degree in precision machining is approximately $14,400.
Building details
The new building is under construction on the west side of the campus and faces Carlyle Avenue.
It will feature 10 large windows, each 24 feet high, in the main precision machine shop.
Construction began last September on the 33,000-square foot building, which will have classrooms and labs.
Swansea-based Holland Construction Services is the construction manager of the project.
This building is the largest construction project on campus since the liberal arts building opened about 10 years ago. It is being designed to allow for expansion for a second phase that would have space for welding and electrical training.
Here’s a breakdown on how SWIC said it is paying for the $20 million manufacturing training academy:
- $8.5 million commitment by the college.
- $7.5 million grant from Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. This grant was announced by the state in 2021 and it is part of the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital improvement plan, which is funded by tax increases on gas, cigarettes and gambling along with a vehicle registration fee increase.
- $2.5 million in a Build Back Better grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
- $1.5 million in naming rights from the Haas Certification Program. An area of the academy will be named after Haas, which offers training material for colleges and businesses.
Mike Koziatek is a reporter with the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
