Breaking ground: CAVC’s new vocational facility to open new opportunities
Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich addresses the large crowd gathered at the March 25 groundbreaking ceremony held on the site of what will become an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center. Among the attendees were many students who are already taking advantage of the career and technical education programming offered to 10 Metro East high schools through the Collinsville High School campus-based vocational center. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE
IBJ Managing Editor
[email protected]
The Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC) held a ceremonial groundbreaking on March 25, 2025, to kick off construction of its $25 million facility expansion and renovation.
Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 officials, design/construction team members, local business partners and representatives from the State of Illinois were on-hand to mark the occasion.
“The start of construction on the Collinsville Area Vocational Center expansion marks an exciting new chapter for our students and community,” said CAVC Director Joe McGinnis. “This project will provide state-of-the-art facilities that better prepare our students for high-demand careers while strengthening partnerships with local businesses.
“By expanding hands-on learning opportunities, we are not just building a facility — we are building a stronger workforce and a brighter future for Collinsville and beyond,” McGinnis added.
CAVC Director Joe McGinnis addresses the large crowd gathered at the March 25 groundbreaking ceremony held on the site of what will become an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
In 2023, the State of Illinois appropriated $25 million (SB 250; page 1024) to Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 (the governing board of Collinsville Area Vocational Center) for the expansion and renovation of CAVC.
Most of the funds will be spent on constructing a new facility on-site at the intersection of South Morrison and Caseyville Roads in Collinsville. The construction site is located across from the existing CAVC building and Collinsville High School’s campus. Close to $3.1 million will be used to renovate the current CAVC facility.
Businesses, professional organizations and trade unions are also contributing in-kind and financial support to provide state-of-the-art learning spaces, technology and equipment.
McKay Napa Auto Parts, Trane, Anderson Hospital, Petroff Companies, Madison County Sheriffs and Holland Construction are partnering with CAVC to provide advanced equipment, technology and specialized classrooms for hands-on learning.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Collinsville School District and provide industry support to the Collinsville Area Vocational Center. These programs are designed to offer students hands-on workforce training for the HVAC industry,” said Rebecca Krewson, technician program leader, Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies.
Krewson added: “An HVAC program not only equips students with the technical skills needed to excel in a rewarding career field, but it also helps to satisfy the growing demand for skilled HVAC professionals in our community. By investing in the next generation of technicians, we are ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for both our industry and the broader St. Louis Metro East region”
McKay NAPA Auto Parts President and CEO Earl Flack sees his company’s involvement as a bridge to the future: “The opportunities for students in the Automotive Aftermarket are unending. The most important thing I see is that we help create a pathway for their success.”
“Anderson Healthcare is proud to be sponsoring the Clinical Health Occupations program at the Collinsville Area Vocational Center,” Anderson Hospital President Lisa Spencer noted. “We look forward to working closely with the CAVC to ensure the success of the Clinical Health Occupations program and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local students.”
Various officials and representatives take part in scooping the first piles of dirt and “break ground” on the site that is to be developed as an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC). The expansion is located at the intersection of South Morrison and Caseyville Roads in Collinsville. The construction site is located across from the existing CAVC building and Collinsville High School’s campus. The current CAVC facility will also undergo renovations. A scheduled completion is anticipated for April 2026. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
The current Collinsville Area Vocational Center was built in 1971 and is one of 24 area vocational centers in Illinois. It currently serves students from 10 high schools in Madison and St. Clair Counties: Civic Memorial High School (Bethalto), Collinsville High School, Dupo High School, East Alton-Wood River High School, Edwardsville High School, Highland High School, Lebanon High School, Mascoutah High School, Roxana High School and Triad High School (Troy).
From its location on the Collinsville High School campus, the CAVC offers education in Agriculture & Landscape Management, Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Building Trades, Electronics, Precision Machining, Welding, Clinical Health (CNA), Criminal Justice, Cosmetology, Cyber Security, Dental Assisting, Early Childhood Education, Food Service, and K-12 Teacher Prep.
Once completed, the new and improved CAVC will serve as a bigger pipeline for the trades, service industry, education careers and healthcare occupations. The result will be more opportunities for students from Collinsville and the nine other area high schools who send students to CAVC; the potential to include additional high schools in CTE education; and a skilled workforce for current and future businesses.
This new CAVC expansion will facilitate adding in HVAC/R, Aviation Mechanics, Avionics, and EMT career pathway programming. Three more programs will also be named at a later date.
McGinnis noted that there is continually a “huge” interest in the CAVC, with 575 students currently enrolled in CAVC programs. This expansion and renovation project will not only improve and expand course offerings but also allow enrollment to increase from its current 575 to an expected 900 students annually.
FGM Architects has provided the new building’s design and Holland Construction will be serving as the project’s construction manager.
“Petroff will be grading the site for the district, then construction will start in about two or three weeks,” said Holland Construction’s Greg Goette, who is serving as the construction company’s project director.
The CUSD 10 Board of Education approved final plans for the CAVC expansion and renovation project at their March 17, 2025, meeting.
The target date for completion, according to the school district, has been set for Spring 2026.
State Representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) was an early and strong advocate for this project which aligns with the State of Illinois’ focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE). School district officials noted that she was instrumental in promoting the project in Springfield to procure funding. She was also on hand to deliver remarks in support of the project’s launch and development.
This brief video clip captures a portion of the remarks made by Illinois State Rep. Katie Stuart during the groundbreaking ceremony on March 25, 2025, that launched the construction of a new Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC) facility on the high school grounds in Collinsville, Ill. (By Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
“Vocational schools play a key role in preparing our students for careers in the trades, service industry, education careers and healthcare occupations,” said Stuart. “Having secured this transformative investment, the construction of the new building and renovations to the existing facility will greatly expand the educational and career opportunities the Collinsville Area Vocational Center will provide to students and our community in the future.”
State Rep. Katie Stuart also shared remarks with the large crowd gathered at the March 25 groundbreaking ceremony held on the site of what will become an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
Various officials and representatives take part in scooping the first piles of dirt and “break ground” on the site that is to be developed as an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC). The expansion is located at the intersection of South Morrison and Caseyville Roads in Collinsville. The construction site is located across from the existing CAVC building and Collinsville High School’s campus. The current CAVC facility will also undergo renovations. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
Another group of officials and representatives take part in scooping the first piles of dirt and “break ground” on the site that is to be developed as an expansion of the current Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC). The expansion is located at the intersection of South Morrison and Caseyville Roads in Collinsville. The construction site is located across from the existing CAVC building and Collinsville High School’s campus. The current CAVC facility will also undergo renovations. (Melissa Crockett Meske/Illinois Business Journal)
This rendering by FGM Architects shows a view from the automotive yard, as designed for the new expansion facility of the CAVC. (Courtesy Collinsville CUSD)
This rendering by FGM Architects shows a street view of the exterior entrance, as designed for the new expansion facility of the CAVC. (Courtesy Collinsville CUSD)
