By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Fort Hays Tech North Central celebrated its new Hansen Construction Career Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
The almost 30,000 square-foot facility will expand access to high-demand career training in construction, electrical technology, plumbing and heating, and commercial driving.
"With those four programs, we've served 130 students each year in the past and will now be able to serve 260 students," Eric Burks, Fort Hays Tech North Central president, said.
The center includes three industry-grade workshop labs, interactive classrooms and training environments that mirror real-world job sites across two floors.
Burks said the building represents confidence in students, the college and Kansas’ workforce.
The $9.1 million project has secured $8.2 million to date, including a $1 million gift from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
Doug Albin, a trustee of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, said the foundation receives many worthy requests, but not all can be approved.
"Sometimes we have a hard time deciding when we're looking at grants, which ones we want to fund and which ones we don't," Albin said. "This was a pretty easy one."
Albin said the decision was driven by the project’s economic impact and the ongoing shortage of plumbers and electricians.
Gary Shorman, board chairman for the Schmidt Foundation, added while the building itself is impressive, the true value lies in the students who will go on to make a difference.
Fort Hays Tech North Central student Cooper Hosman gave his impression of the center so far.
"One of my favorite things about it is the lab we're standing in right now. For example, we were able to learn how to operate a scissor lift last week, and I would not have been able to do that in the old building," Hosman said.
Lt. Gov. David Toland also spoke, saying Kansas has attracted $30 billion in private investment during the last seven years. He said the state is in need of more skilled tradespeople, housing units, commercial strip centers and industrial buildings.
"It's an urgent matter that we train up our young people and keep them in Kansas to be a part of this renaissance that's occurring in our state," he said.
Bob Becker, chairman of the North Central Tech Board of Trustees, said while board members have changed over the years, the vision of adding new campus buildings has remained the same.
"The mission of the board, in many ways, is to create a learning environment that is conducive to developing qualified, skilled and career-oriented individuals," he said. "With the creation of the Hansen Construction Career Center, we believe we have further enhanced our mission."
Attendees were allowed to tour the facility and meet the faculty after the ceremony. Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason was unable to attend the event.
