Nearly 200 people gathered Thursday in the commons area of College of Eastern Idaho’s new Future Tech building for a ribbon-cutting and celebration of the $52 million facility. State and local leaders, educators, industry partners, and members of the public attended the event marking the official opening of the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in partnership with Frontier Credit Union.
Training Students for In-Demand Jobs
The facility is built to train students for Idaho’s growing demand for science, technology, and healthcare jobs. The building brings CEI’s high-tech programs under one roof, with labs and classrooms for cybersecurity, mechatronics, AgTech, surgical technology, and engineering.
The building also includes a STEM center aimed at introducing younger students to technical careers and creating a pipeline into CEI programs and the region’s workforce. “When we invest in students, we’re investing in our future workforce,” said Dan Thurman, CEO of Frontier Credit Union.
Hands-On Learning and Industry Partnerships
The 88,000-square-foot building took roughly two years to complete and connects students with the technology and hands-on training they’ll encounter in the workplace. Future Tech consolidates several of CEI’s technical programs into one facility, with classrooms designed around hands-on instruction more than traditional lecture-based learning.
The cybersecurity program includes an active-learning room where students build their own desktop computers as part of their coursework. Classrooms feature touch-screen displays and large monitors. The mechatronics lab provides space to program and work with robots, allowing students to practice automation and industrial technology skills.
A new AgTech program will bring robotics and drones into agriculture education. Students will learn to use technology such as farm robots to monitor soil pH and irrigation. The program is expected to begin in 2027. Some of the coursework is already being taught in CEI’s Energy Solutions program, with students moving into AgTech coursework in their second year.
Future Tech also houses CEI’s surgical technology program, where students train in simulated operating rooms. The lab includes operating-room stations, scrub centers, simulated patients, and equipment that allows students to practice procedures before entering a real healthcare setting.
Community Involvement and Investment
The building represents a significant investment in the community, with a total cost of $52 million. Battelle Energy Alliance, the contractor that operates INL, contributed $5.5 million to the project, while Frontier Credit Union contributed $3.5 million. The project was funded through a combination of state appropriations, CEI funds, and private contributions from industry and community partners.
The building’s Frontier Conference Center also gives the community a new space for meetings, lectures, and events. The configurable space includes a kitchen and catering area and can be rented by community organizations. A café, The Generator, is slated to open in September, and the building includes common areas where students can study and collaborate.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
