SWIC Career and Technical Ed Building opens new opportunities for students
Traditionally, students in the southernmost part of Southwestern Illinois College’s district had to drive at least 30 minutes to access many of SWIC’s popular career and technical education programs.
That will change this fall as SWIC debuts the 7,800-square-foot, $5.5 million Red Bud Career and Technical Education Facility. It was financed through bonds the community college sold in 2023.
The new space will expand welding, industrial electricity and forklift certification opportunities to the Red Bud campus, SWIC leaders said at a ribbon cutting and open house for the new building Thursday.
“It is definitely increasing opportunities for more students,” said Kevin Corgan, coordinator for SWIC’s welding programs. “Adding this extra capacity and extra location will be nice for people who live down here.”
The building sports eight welding stations, each outfitted with enough space for an instructor to join a student as they work on projects. It also includes a long space in the middle of the booths for lectures and other activities, Corgan said.
The other part of the building is a large, open space for industrial electricity programming and forklift classes, said Travis Jumper, SWIC’s dean of technical education.
SWIC Vice President of Enrollment Development and Institutional Planning Robert Tebbe previously said the project was driven by the needs of the community and business partners.
For example, Tebbe previously told the BND, SWIC saw that Red Bud Industries and many other manufacturers nationwide have a growing need for welders – hence the large welding focus in the new CTE building.
In SWIC’s southern region, he said, there’s a need for individuals with forklift certificates.
“We are going to listen to the workforce,” Tebbe said. “If (we) don’t listen to them, we’re going to offer the wrong programs.”
The space was designed to be flexible, allowing the community college to shift or add programs in the future as workforce and industry needs change, Tebbe said.
SWIC’s Career and Technical Education Facility is located at 500 W. South 4th Street in Red Bud.