"We always had great success on the engineering end, but when it came to getting technicians to do things like actually build robots and fix robots, man, it was tough," said Starr, 38, now an endowed professor of advanced technologies at the Community College of Allegheny County.
Those sorts of skills — in robotics and other rapidly advancing technologies — will be taught in CCAC's soon-to-open Center for Education, Innovation and Training. The $43 million development is arguably the most ambitious since the college's founding in 1966.
Instruction is expected to begin in the facility along Ridge Avenue on the Allegheny campus on Jan. 16.
The building itself is impressive, Starr said Monday. But of greater importance will be the sophisticated equipment inside, combined with a curriculum closely targeted to what the region's employers need to thrive.
"We've been working hand in hand with our industry partners to make sure that this isn't going to simply fill a need that will materialize someday, but rather involves the things that companies are clamoring for right now," said Starr, who was involved in programming for the center and will teach there.
The three-story building includes a large-scale robotics lab and fully functional advanced production line. It is equipped with experiential classrooms and labs, advanced equipment from simulators to augmented reality tools, as well as a state-of-the-art culinary school.
"We will be working to prepare the building for the start of classes in January, and expect to begin conducting training for our staff and holding other events in the facility throughout the months of November and December," CCAC spokeswoman Dena Rose Buzila said.
The project broke ground in November 2021. It will go online as students increasingly are showing interest in getting into the workforce sooner — either before completing a four-year degree or instead of it.
Those involved in planning and raising funds for the project call it an example of how community colleges can serve as an economic catalyst.
"We are investing in skills training for fast-growing occupations while promoting apprenticeships, partnerships and collaborations as we continue to rejuvenate the region's workforce," Bullock said in a statement.
And, the campus is helping to lower an educational barrier by delivering the instruction at community college prices.
"You don't have to go to a Penn State or a Pitt to use state-of-the-art equipment," Starr said. "We have an electron microscope and we have the same industrial robots that are used in Ford and GM factories. We have an automated sorting and inventory system."
Some students are finding employment making up to $37 an hour even before completing campus work.
But it's not just about turning out work-ready graduates from degree and certificate programs, Starr said.
"The hope is that we can inspire some of those small- and medium-sized businesses who might not know what they can do in terms of advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation and cybersecurity. They can come walk through the new building, and see the equipment we have set up to be real world," he said.
The project is at the heart of what CCAC calls its Pioneering Pittsburgh's New Workforce Campaign, which has surpassed its $65 million goal. To date, the campaign has total commitments of $90 million.
Earlier this year, a college official spearheading the project said the idea is to better integrate the degree- and non-degree aspects of CCAC.
"I want to get people into their careers as soon as possible," said Michael Rinsem, who holds a CCAC endowed professorship in technical curriculum. "But at the same time, I want to give them a pathway to move up in those careers.
The fundraising campaign is also aiding other initiatives across the college. The state, meanwhile, is contributing $20 million toward a $40 million bond issue for the project.
In addition, CCAC raised more than $31 million in private donations from corporations, foundations and individuals, including lead commitments from BNY Mellon and Highmark Health.
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