By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays broke ground on Tuesday on a new building.
The new building will feature classrooms, office spaces and workshops to support its construction and Commercial Driver License programs.
North Central Tech President Eric Burks said the 29,000-square-foot building will double the capacity of these programs.
"We've been turning students away. ... We've had to tell students that they're on a waiting list, and we're probably not going to get through that waiting list," he said.
The new two-story facility, 2205 Wheatland Ave., will be designed to serve more students and staff beginning next fall. It will be east of the parking lot next to the administration building.
Multiple grants and community partnerships, including contributions from the city of Hays support the project.
Hays Mayor Sandy Jacobs congratulated Burks and North Central Tech on the project at the ceremony.
"Thank you, Fort Hays Tech North Central. We appreciate your investment in our community and look forward to what the future brings," Jacobs said.
North Central Tech obtained grants from the Department of Commerce and the Patterson Family Foundation, which contributed $750,000 to support the building's construction.
Diana Baumann, North Central Tech vice president of finance and Hays operations, opened the event and introduced several speakers, such as Managing Principal Phillip Jordan from Alloy Architecture and North Central Tech student Cooper Hosman.
Hosman is from Ellinwood and is a plumbing, heating and air conditioning program student at North Central Tech. He also intends to study in the electrical program.
Hosman said he enrolled at North Central Tech because of its hands-on learning opportunities.
"Although the current facilities are good and allow us to work in groups, our classrooms and shops can be very tight spaces," he said.
Jordan has been involved in five projects with Fort Hays State University and contributed to the building's design.
He said the ceremony symbolized the beginning of a bright future for both students and the neighboring communities.
"This new facility will not only provide a place where students can develop the expertise needed to thrive in the construction industry, but it will also provide a pipeline of talent to the ever-increasing demand for a highly skilled workforce," Jordan said.