Construction has begun at Bucks’ Bristol Campus for a new facility to be used by students. The $9.9 million facility is going to be the Center for Workforce Development, which will hold classes to partner students with businesses to gain experience in that field.
The new facility plans to train Bucks students in the field of manufacturing, which is one of the top industries in Bucks County today. It is estimated that locally there will be about 3,000 unfilled jobs in manufacturing by 2025.
Chair of the college’s Board of Trustees, David Breidinger, said, “The past year has taught us that traditional classrooms are changing. Students are now taking different paths to succeed.”
The facility will help students explore new fields and give them hands on experience. Programs included are metalworking, welding, industrial maintenance, robotics, and more. There will also be certificate programs in bookkeeping, Customer Service Specialist, and Microsoft Office Technology.
Some classes are in relation to businesses that are still in their development stages. This gives students the opportunity to be a part of a new era of manufacturing. Due to the demand of employees in these fields, students will be able to easily enter the workforce after receiving their degree.
These programs will guarantee that students who take part in these courses will end up more than qualified to enter the workforce.
Bucks has created a fund for the facility and asks for all individuals, alumni, and corporate partners who are interested in the facility to donate to help get the building and the programs ready for students to learn in.
“With this fund, the Center for Workforce Development plans to provide scholarships to students who desire a career in manufacturing but cannot afford the tuition,” said Christina McGinley, the foundation’s executive director.
Donating to the fund will not only help give students scholarships, but it will also help pay for the equipment needed for students to learn and become experts in these new fields. The funding towards this facility will benefit the future of manufacturing in our community.