Expenditures total $33 million, a $3.5 million increase compared to last year.
College President, Dr. Seamus Reilly, says the budget includes $22.9 million for construction projects, including the new Science and Technology Center. Work on it began in April. It will house... "Natural sciences, labs, as well as our criminal justice, as well as our information technology. But most importantly it will include all of our health professions programs, including dental hygiene. That project is slated to be completed by July 1st of 2024. Currently we have completed all the pilings, all the excavation work, and now we're actually building foundations."
The Sandburg board has also accepted two grants from the Illinois Community College Board worth more than $480,000. Reilly says the money will help Sandburg train workers to fill jobs in Knox County and the surrounding area.
"As industry needs change, as industry leaves the district, or as they re-engineer their processes, people need additional skills whether it be computer technology or robot technology. So, we're trying to make sure that we are meeting that need. For example, in automotive technology, we're looking at ways to expand so that we can provide the future instruction on electric vehicle technology."
One of the two grants will help launch the PIPEline — Providing Industrial Professions Experience — program next year. It will feature dual credit courses, apprenticeships, and retention support for high school students interested in manufacturing jobs.
Sandburg also received a Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) grant. It'll pay for recruitment, retention, and other support for students enrolled in the college's health care programs, such as:
- Nursing
- Radiologic technology
- MRI
- CT
- Medical office professional,
- Phlebotomy
Click below for a video walk-through.
