Columbia Area Career Center is growing. Here's how it will advance workforce development
Work that started late last year to expand Columbia Area Career Center will be ready for students by the 2025-26 school year, says Suzette Waters, Columbia Public Schools board president.
Area residents are going to see the impacts of the expansion "when they have less of a wait time at a restaurant, a car shop or a doctor's office because we are training people that can add to the workforce. We're also allowing students to pursue their passions. That can be done in addition to an academic pursuit or in lieu of," she said.
The district cut the ribbon Tuesday on the expansion after the career center was closed to the public Monday as construction and renovations ramp up. Construction and renovations happened during the school year and will continue once students return in the fall.
The career center will grow by 15,000 square feet, providing more room for classrooms and programmatic space, including a student enterprise area. Firms doing the work are the paired Reinhardt Construction and SM Wilson.
"For the last several months, there were also classes meeting daily. I think there needs to be a big sign that says, 'No students or staff were harmed in this project,'" Waters said, eliciting laughs from those gathered.
The Reinhardt Wilson duo also are slated to do the Battle Elementary School expansion and construction of a new elementary school adjacent to John Warner Middle School. The career center project has a maximum budget of $22.6 million. All three are part of the $80 million bond package approved by voters in 2022.
"(We) have it scheduled out to the day," said Susan Hart, president of Reinhardt Construction, about the career center project. "That is how you have to do it on these projects. It is all about getting your materials delivered and ordered and we have been working on that since October."
This includes demolition of a section of the career center to make way for the expanded spaces. Renovations started in November.
"We are in good shape," Hart said, adding most of the renovations should be finished by the start of the school 2024-25 year and the addition will be finished by fall 2025. The additions will include community-centered spaces, "such as (an) entrepreneurship (area) for the students. Spaces they can sell or practice their business entrepreneurship. There also is a community room for 200 people that also is our storm shelter."
The workforce landscape is changing and CPS must prepare its students for it, said Brian Yearwood, CPS superintendent.
"Columbia Public Schools Career Center not only impacts students in our district, but those in our surrounding school districts, private schools and parochial schools, who all send their scholars to us to participate in our courses and programmatic offerings," he said.
More: CPS students can get on-the-job training and get paid through new apprenticeship program
The career center expansion is a long-awaited project, Yearwood added, noting it will provide the space and innovate classrooms for a variety or programs, including culinary arts, automotive, engineering and more.
"It is important that these spaces allow for more scholars to come in and more practical opportunities," he said, acknowledging the ongoing work of Reindhardt Wilson. "The key is to get projects to come in on time and below cost and they have done that.
"... This would not be possible without the support of our community and our scholars are thriving because of that support."
From 2021: Parson: Columbia Area Career Center a showcase for workforce development in Missouri
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia Area Career Center cuts ribbon on facility expansion work
