Flint Hills Technical College receives check towards their largest campaign to accommodate the upcoming skilled workers

EMPORIA (KSNT) - In the face of a nationwide shortage of skilled workers, local businesses are stepping up to help train the job force of tomorrow.

Flint Hills Technical College is working toward its "Advancing Tomorrow" campaign. It’s the largest fundraising effort in the college's history. The campaign launched back in April. The goal is to build a 13-million-dollar advanced industry education center.

A state-of-the-art technical education facility that will offer technical training for in-demand careers in manufacturing and advanced industries.

Since then, the college has received generous donations from multiple local businesses, including Emporia State Federal Credit Union and the Jones Trust.

On Monday, “Simmons Foods” donated $500,000 to the campaign. In turn, it will receive naming rights for the center’s future Industrial Engineering lab.

Working for you, 27 News spoke with Caron Daugherty, the president of the college, about why community partnerships like these are necessary. 

"We obviously don't want to make student tuition so costly that our students can't complete the technical education that we have, such a high return on investment," said Daugherty. "We have a 98% placement rate programs and opportunities in partnerships such as with Simmons Foods is one of those great examples that helps with the college and the industry, and that student support and that workforce development and workforce education."

Flint Hills Tech hopes to break ground on the new education center in the next 18 months and complete construction by 2028.

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