June 16, 2003
MiBiz West

MUSKEGON - The Muskegon Area Career Tech Center, a partnership between Muskegon Community College (MCC) and the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD), is one step closer to becoming a bricks and mortar reality.

Gary Post, president of the project's general contractor Muskegon Construction Co., told MiBiz that preliminary drawings are nearing completion, after which the design and development phase can begin.

"Our goal is to have this ready to go out for bids in the last half of August or early September," Post said. "We'd like to have it ready for students by the fall of 2004."

That's an ambitious timeline, given the variety of facilities and programs that will be housed in the 50,000-square-foot building. Aimed at high school students who may or may not move on to college, the programs include auto service technology, auto body technology, welding, HVAC, culinary arts, marketing/e-commerce, early childhood development, horticulture, health services, medical technology, therapy systems, public safety, computer-aided design, computer information network systems, financial management, machine technology, PC maintenance and electronics.

"Some of those programs will just require regular classroom space, but others will require a lab area, and some like auto service and auto body technology will need a working garage. There will be a whole variety of things blended into the one facility," said Post.

Hooker DeJong Architects & Engineers of Muskegon will design the center. While it will be located on MCC's campus, the MAISD will operate and staff all of its programs.

"This project is very exciting because it's going to lead to a facility that we haven't had here in Muskegon County," said Post. "Those training opportunities have been provided to high school students here on sort of a piecemeal basis, but we've also had students who have had to go to Newaygo or Ottawa County for something we don't provide here."

One of the biggest benefits of the center when it's complete next year will be the enhancements made to Muskegon's available work force, said Post.

"Not that kids can't go through the programs and then go on to college, but a lot of this is to expose kids to highly skilled technical jobs that may or may not require a college degree. Probably three-quarters of the kids who graduate from high school don't graduate from college, but most of our focus in education is on the 25 percent who do go on. This is going to fill a big gap in the Muskegon educational arena."

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This article appeared in the June 16, 2003 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who do business in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz Network, visit www.mibiz.com.