SWIC celebrates Fall 2024 opening of new Advanced Manufacturing Academy with ribbon cutting
Shown participating in the official July 15 ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the launch of the new Advanced Manufacturing Academy at SWIC’s Belleville campus are, from left, Kathy Looman, Haas Technical Educators Conference; Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory; Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman; State Rep. Katie Stuart; Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) President Nick Mance; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; Latoya Greenwood, former state representative; state Sen. Christopher Belt and Mark Bosworth, dean of SWIC’s Technical Education and Workforce Development.
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE
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Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) held an official ribbon cutting on July 11 in preparation for its official Fall 2024 opening of the new Advanced Manufacturing Academy on its Belleville campus.
The Advanced Manufacturing Academy is anticipated to reinvigorate the regional manufacturing industry with a sustainable, high-skilled workforce and re-establish Illinois, and the U.S., as a center of global manufacturing.
SWIC has utilized state funding to launch a multi-phase plan and create this academy, focused on the needs of local manufacturing partners and building relationships necessary to solidify southern Illinois as a hub for manufacturing education and industry. Funding was secured through the leadership of SWIC President Nick Mance and Gov. Pritzker, coupled with DCEO and other funding sources.
The academy, first announced by Gov. Pritzker in 2021, will offer training in industrial electricity, robotic and automated welding, precision machining concentrations, and EV technologies, among other programs. $7.5 million of the $15 million facility was funded by the State of Illinois through Rebuild Illinois.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker makes his remarks from the podium to the crowd gathered at the official July 15 ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the launch of the new Advanced Manufacturing Academy at SWIC’s Belleville campus.
According to a statement from the Governor’s office, the addition of this facility allows SWIC to double potential enrollment numbers, with goals set for 40% of students identifying as people of color and 25% identifying as women – including efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff. Alongside that, this academy will shape a new curriculum built for a new age of manufacturing, focused on sustainability and emerging industries.
Planned programming for the new facility will include revision of previously established programming as well as the addition of new and innovative manufacturing programming.
By reinforcing strong manufacturing opportunities available to the community and highlighting the success of SWIC’s academy students, the college will continue to improve the overall image of U.S. manufacturing within its local region. Sustainable manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in the changing landscape of the industry. SWIC plans to be at the forefront of manufacturing innovation with the academy’s state-of-the-art equipment and program offerings, spurring modernization throughout the regional industry.
“I chose to come to SWIC because of your successes, to demonstrate my own intent to put community colleges at the forefront of our economic revitalization of the state,” said Gov. Pritzker during the July 15 event. “SWIC and other community colleges are the dynamic institutions that are capable of building the workforce of the future, creating opportunities for hardworking Illinoisans, and maximizing economic growth potential for the entire state and particularly for this region.”
SWIC officials also acknowledged attendees and expressed their gratitude during the event, which included Gov. Pritzker, state Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea), Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea), State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), former state representative LaToya Greenwood, Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory, as well as numerous industry partners and community members.
Photos provided by Southwestern Illinois College.
Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman addresses those gathered on July 15 to celebrate the launch of the new SWIC Advanced Manufacturing Academy on its Belleville campus, officially open for the Fall 2024 semester.
(Editor’s note: This story also appears in the August 2024 print edition of the Illinois Business Journal.)
