SCC planning $42M facility to expand science, technology education | Education

SCC has also been limited in its ability to expand its electronic systems technology program because of cramped space and can’t offer space for area businesses looking for areas to train new or existing employees.

Several Lincoln companies — TMCO, Kawasaki and Sandhills, to name a few — often request space in SCC’s facilities, Cummins said.

“Because our labs are used throughout the day in our credit programs, trainings for industry can only occur in the evenings or when the college is on break,” she said.

Even then, SCC’s existing facilities often show their age.

Matt Thorne, executive vice president of Electronic Contracting, which employs 130 people, including 65 in Lincoln, said the commercial electronics integrator will often look for space where it can conduct certification classes or large sales meetings.

Electronic Contracting — also known as ECCO — has made use of the auditorium at SCC’s Lincoln campus, but found itself scrambling when there was no HDMI connection, Thorne said.

A new, dedicated training space at SCC that can accompany a large number of employees would be a big boon to both ECCO and other companies, he added, particularly as many anticipate workloads to shift into high gear once supply-chain bottlenecks are resolved.

“Once we get the raw goods in our hands, we’re going to be scrambling to find workers as quick as we can to get everything installed,” Thorne said. “We’re not going to have time to worry about finding a time and a place to train workers, so I’m really excited about these spaces they are creating that we will be able to use.”

According to Cummins, the new facility would have labs that are flexible and dedicated to “short-term, work-based training,” which will increase SCC’s capacity to produce a qualified workforce.

The Sandhills Global Technology Center, which is planned east of the Health Science Facility that opened on SCC’s Lincoln campus in 2021, would be followed by a science-focused facility to be built within five years.

The projects continue the renewal of SCC’s campuses in Lincoln, Beatrice and Milford.

A $24 million expansion and renovation of SCC’s student services center is under construction at the Lincoln campus.

SCC-Lincoln is also planning a 250-bed residence hall.