Groundbreaking ceremony April 23 for SWCC’s new trades facility

Groundbreaking ceremony April 23 for SWCC’s new trades facility

 

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) officials will celebrate breaking ground for the college’s newest trades facility at 10 a.m., on Thursday, April 23, 2026, on the east side of the existing Technical Center I, on the Creston campus.

 

The need for additional space on campus for SWCC’s skilled trades programming emerged during the college’s master facilities planning process. The expansion of skilled trades is a two-fold project consisting first of the construction of this 15,040-square-foot facility to provide additional classroom and lab space for the carpentry and building trades, electrical technology, and emergency management services (EMS) programs. The building will be constructed on the east side of campus, near Technical Center I and Technical Center II. The second phase of the project will be to renovate 9,500 square feet of space in the existing Technical Center I to establish a welding technology career academy and expand welding training opportunities, as well as to provide additional classroom space for future programs.

 

With approval of a $1 million Career Academy Incentive Fund grant through the Iowa Department of Education, the project quickly began moving forward in 2025. Construction will begin soon after the April 23 ceremony.

 

Light refreshments will be provided during the groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony will be moved inside Technical Center I in the case of inclement weather. It is open to the public.