COCC to Break Ground on Manufacturing Center Makeover in Redmond

Central Oregon Community College is holding a groundbreaking ceremony at the Redmond campus for its transformative manufacturing center expansion and remodel from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

College President Greg Pereira, college staff, students and local industry partners will gather to commemorate the occasion — a new chapter for COCC’s Redmond campus and for manufacturing education in the region. The event is open to the public.

The remodel of the existing 34,300-square-foot manufacturing technology labs, built in 2001, will enlarge the computer numerical control (CNC) labs and add classrooms for product design and quality control. The addition of a 6,500-square-foot build-out will consist of expanded welding and fabrication labs, which will increase student capacity and create space for large-scale projects. Students will largely train on the same type of equipment used by local manufacturers.

“The goal is really about meeting the demand for manufacturing,” said Greg Pereira, president of COCC. “What we know about Central Oregon, and about Redmond in particular, is the abundance of new jobs in manufacturing, growth and homebuilding. COCC is at the forefront of where that education is going.”

Oregon’s welding workforce, for instance, is expected to jump by 15% between 2022-32, estimates the U.S. Department of Labor. Already, COCC is seeing an increased interest in its manufacturing degrees and certificates, with the current academic term seeing a 12% increase in seats taken.

“Local employers are facing urgent shortages in skilled roles such as welding, machining, industrial maintenance and quality control,” said Cindy Lenhart, instructional outreach dean at COCC, “many of which offer strong wages and long-term career pathways.”

The estimated $8 million project will combine $4 million in COCC general funds and a matching grant from Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Fundraising will help meet any additional expenses.

At its monthly meeting on Oct. 14, the college’s board of directors approved the guaranteed maximum price of $5,488,544 to SunWest Builders, to be paid from approved project funds. Steele and Associates Architecture and Morrison-Maierle Engineering have completed permit plans, now submitted to the city of Redmond for plan review.

The project coincides with a nearly $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, received at the beginning of this year — one of just 22 such grants designated for colleges and universities nationwide — that’s being used to develop short-term certificates for manufacturing technology with regional workforce needs in mind. The grant will also support hiring faculty and staff, purchase equipment and technology, and improve data systems for Workforce Pell Grant eligibility.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.