Community College Opens Automotive Technology Center

Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis in Indiana has officially celebrated the grand opening of the Ivy Tech Automotive Technology Center. The $14-million, 59,000-square-foot facility opened as part of a series of developments in the city’s International Marketplace District. The facility was designed and built by GMB Architecture + Engineering in partnership with McGee Designhouse and JPS Consulting Engineers.

According to a press release, the center will certify and train students for high-paying, available jobs in the automotive sector. The classes are taught by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master certified instructors with more than 100 practice vehicles available to provide experience with company-specific diagnostics and information. The new facility features classrooms, training labs, student collaboration areas with a capacity of 600, faculty offices, and corporate labs. The center is scheduled to open to students in time for the fall 2021 semester.

Ivy League Automotive Technology Center
Photo credit: GMB Architecture + Engineering

“This new facility will deliver first-class educational opportunities that are not only affordable but also provide outstanding job placement rates for Ivy Tech students, bringing a vital skilled workforce to Indiana communities,” said Peter Giles, Vice President of Business Development for Cinnaire. “It is our goal at Cinnaire to create economic opportunity in communities that the mainstream market doesn’t serve, and we are proud to be an investor in this project.”

The new facility was first announced in 2016 after Ivy Tech received $5 million as part of a capital campaign. It also received part of a $1 million gift from the Indianapolis Auto Trade Association and about $1 million worth of land donated by local businessman Sid Eskenazi.

Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology program has an enrollment of about 300 students and boasts a 100% job placement rate. The program also offers its students paid, cooperative education opportunities with local businesses and industries.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • abstract representation of hybrid learning environment

    The Permanence of Change: Why Hybrid Is the New Baseline

    Hybrid learning is here to stay, and it's reshaping how campus spaces function.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.