MILFORD – The Milford Campus of Southeast Community College is in the midst of its expansion program for the Machine Tool Technology program.
The plans include an expansion of 15,000 square feet for additional classroom and facilities at the Milford campus. Classes that are now held at the Lincoln campus will be relocated to Milford.
At the Tuesday, Sept. 18, SCC Board of Governors meeting, eight bids were presented, with The Kingery Construction Co. of Lincoln winning the project with a $1,292,000 bid.
Funding will come from property taxes.
“The college has the ability to levy up to one-cent in property tax for the purpose of capital construction,” SCC President Jack Huck explained. “We currently levy one-fourth cent per hundred dollars of assessed value, and that is the source of the funding.”
Huck further explained that, “We have the money in the bank already to pay for the project.”
The expansion will be in two phases.
Currently, an addition to the Eicher Technology Center is being built that will cover 5,000 square feet for the new Robotic Center. Completion is scheduled for the end of the winter quarter of 2013.
The current space being used will be remodeled and expanded during the spring quarter.
This will comprise of an additional floor space of 10,000 square feet with new machines and equipment. New floors and lighting will also be included.
During the second phase, machine tool classes will be held at the Lincoln campus. Students who live at the Milford campus will receive free transportation to and from the two campus sites.
The expansion project is scheduled for completion in time for the Summer Quarter 2013.
Scott Kahler, program chair for the Machine Tool Technology Program, stated that there will also be an increase in shop size as well as additional CNC equipment and a robotic cell.
There will also be additional space for an increase in student capacity. Additional focuses such as Advanced Manufacturing and Automation will be added to the Machine Tool Technology Program.
Kahler stated that the expansion would help benefit the students in the program and would give each student “better preparedness for the workforce.”
“We want to be a world-class educational program,” Huck said.
He said he has visited various manufacturing companies in the area, and one of the main things these companies have said to him was, “We need more skilled people.”
Huck further said that, “The manufacturing sector is thriving. Despite what is said in the newspapers, manufacturing companies and jobs are returning to the United States.”
Students can obtain an Associate of Applied Science Degree, diploma or certificate in the program.
The current focuses are Die Maker, Mold Maker and Tool and Die Maker. Graduates can be employed as tool maker, precision machinist, machine builder, CNC operator and CNC programmer among other occupations.