OLEAN, N.Y. -- After two years of planning, Jamestown Community College broke ground Tuesday on a new manufacturing technology facility at its Olean campus.
"We're thrilled with the opportunity we have to bring a new opportunity for education to this area. We haven't had the capacity up until now to offer advanced technology and manufacturing as directly here as we would like to," said JCC President Cory Duckworth.
The 20,000 square foot facility will offer hands-on vocational programs and come equipped with welding machinery, lab space and 3D technology.
The facility will also allow local entrepreneurs to work with faculty and students to create prototypes for new products.
"Manufacturers led us to construct this facility and in turn, JCC will be responding to the needs they have identified," said John Sayegh, JCC Cattaraugus County Campus Continuing Education VP.
The $6 million project is being funded mostly through a state education grant. Leaders say the goal is to help attract and train the next generation of skilled workers to replace an aging workforce in the region.
"We want to keep the population growing. Empowering people with the tools, the educational tools to stay in the area, raise their families," said Sayegh.
In addition to the state grant funding, the Cattaraugus County Legislature recently and unanimously awarded the college $500,000 toward the construction of the new facility.
"If we didn't have the county's support, we wouldn't be able to move forward at all, so we're grateful the county has come forward in such a significant way," said Duckworth.
The facility is expected to be completed in the spring, and start offering courses next summer.