St. Cloud Technical and Community College Celebrates New Advanced Manufacturing Center

(KNSI) — St. Cloud Technical & Community College is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a new advanced manufacturing center.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon for the college’s newest addition.

Energy and Electronics instructor Aaron Barker spoke to KNSI News at the ceremony, saying the new facility is a game changer. “It’s the latest and greatest equipment that’s out there in the industry. We’re actually the only and first college to have an industrial metal 3D printer. So we’re excited about that.”

He says they’re hoping to do some collaborative projects with businesses and allow them to come in and work side by side with students. Companies will also be able to upskill their workforce at the center.

Barker boasted that students who graduate from the program with a degree can easily find a job. “We have 100% job placement, and our jobs are going anywhere from $30 to $50 an hour starting after two years of college.”

Fifteen students are already learning in the center during its first year.

The school got a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, and the college invested $2.1 million to develop the 8,000-square-foot facility.

The grand opening celebration is the first in what will be a year-long commemoration of the school’s 75th anniversary. The college was founded in 1948 by Robert Miller, with about 100 students in agriculture, business, home economics, machining, and auto mechanic classes. Students were taught in high school shops and classrooms. In 1966, the current location was built, and it has expanded several times over the years. More than 3,900 students take classes today, and the school offers 90 degrees.

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