Delaware County Community College

American pride and prosperity have been built upon the strength of its workforce. Yet over a third of today’s workforce lacks the skills needed to succeed in the labor market. National, state and local challenges include skill shortages, unfilled jobs, diminishing competitiveness, loss of jobs to other nations, and income disparities between those with and without education and skills.

Current trends indicate that we must act now to preserve our competitive advantage by optimizing our knowledge-based resources, primarily science and technology. In its 2005 report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, the National Academies sets forth an ambitious program to ensure economic leadership and the ability to compete in the 21st century. Among its 20 specific recommendations is a goal to increase the pipeline of students prepared to enter college and graduate with a degree in science, engineering or mathematics.

In a global economy, the nation’s competitive advantage is determined and shaped at the local level, however. It is not surprising then that Governor Rendell’s Job Ready PA initiative calls upon community colleges to “play the biggest role” in Pennsylvania’s plan for economic competitiveness.

In response to these challenges, Delaware County Community College is creating a world-class instructional facility, which will become a center of excellence in the delivery of programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The new STEM complex itself will transform the main campus and strengthen the College’s efforts in the recruitment and retention of students, creating a virtual pipeline of the skilled scientist, mathematics, engineers and technicians necessary for the local labor market to compete in a global economy.

The cutting-edge facilities and curriculum will provide a competitive advantage to students and allow the College to respond in a significant way to the needs of business and industry and to the aggressive national, state and local agendas to improve economic competitiveness.

The $60 million complex is comprised of the STEM Center, a 105,000 square foot four-story building for modern science, engineering and mathematics laboratories and classrooms, and the Advanced Technology Center, a 32,000 square foot building with unlimited design flexibility in housing technical programs and catering to the unique training requirements of business and industry. The STEM Center opened for classes in January 2010, while the Advanced Technology Center opened for classes in September 2009.

The project architect is Burt Hill, the fourth largest designer of higher education facilities in the United States and the sixth largest in the world. The firm has a 70-year history of award-winning design innovation and an expertise in academic science buildings. In addition to architectural services, Burt Hill is providing engineering, interior design and LEED certification.