Photo Friday
Last month, we dedicated the Clauson Center for Innovation and Skilled Trades. The event included a ribbon cutting and gifting of the building to the college from the foundation, in addition to recognizing and thanking donors, board members, business and community leaders, AACC faculty and staff, and our partners for their support in making the new facility a reality.
The 11,300-square-foot Clauson Center was built “by the community, for the community,” as AACC’s first building to be funded solely through philanthropy. The building will open to students studying electrical work, forklift operations, HVAC, plumbing, welding, framing and finish carpentry, general contracting and more this month, helping meet the community’s growing demand of skilled trades workers. Skilled trade positions have been identified as the most difficult positions for employers to fill in the United States, according to recent research.
The building will be the home of dynamic skilled trades programming that will adapt to job market demands. The Clauson Center will offer new technologies and facilities needed to equip students for a changing job market through hands-on learning in state-of-the-art labs, fast-track training that targets shortages in key skilled trades, as well as apprenticeships and coaching to transition students successfully into jobs with local employers.
Check out some photos from the opening and the new facility located on our Arnold campus.