Gateway Technical College unveiled on Tuesday the $11.5 million addition and renovation of its SC Johnson Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Center in Sturtevant.
The project included a 35,800-square-foot addition and the remodeling of 12,100 square feet of space at the iMET Center, located at 320 Renaissance Blvd.
The project was funded by a $5 million grant from the state as part of the Foxconn Technology Group incentive package, a $1.5 million capital investment by the college, and another $4 million from corporate partnerships.
The center is aimed at accommodating the job training needs of area companies, both by training college students and upscaling existing employees.
Students began using the newly-expanded facility this fall.
“Students benefit by having state-of-the-art training equipment and curriculum along with industry partnerships that support jobs and career aspirations,” said Gateway president Bryan Albrecht. “Employers benefit by having a workforce prepared to lead southeastern Wisconsin into the fourth industrial revolution, known as Industry 4.0.”
Enrollment in Gateway’s manufacturing program is up 6% this year, which indicates growing interest among students in the field, Albrecht said.
“People want to know what skills are required to be successful in a manufacturing environment,” he said. “The types of jobs students are (getting) are starting out at $50,000 and $60,000. We know they’re family-supporting jobs. Of course, there’s a lot of new knowledge that has to be gained so that’s why the expansion was so important for us.”
New additions to the facility include a new industrial design fab lab, precision measurement lab, Rockwell Industrial Controls Lab, SC Johnson Waxdale Mechatronics Lab, Connected Systems Institute Room and an atrium sponsored by Ashley Furniture.
