April 25, staff and guests of Lamar Institute of Technology celebrated the groundbreaking breaking-ground taking place at the coming Workforce and Allied Health Training Center.
“We are thrilled to expand our campus and offerings with the Workforce and Allied Health Training Center,” said LIT President Dr. Sidney Valentine. “This addition will afford us the opportunity to welcome a new nursing program and enhance existing allied health and workforce programs.”
The 51,981 gross square-foot, threestory center will house nursing skills and simulation labs, the nursing testing center, the pharmacy tech program, allied health, workforce and computer classrooms, a large multi-purpose classroom and the industry partners lab.
“Our goal is to design labs and learning spaces that are so immersive and true-to-life that the transition from college to the workplace feels like simply accepting a new job,” said Valentine. “Students will leave here with hands-on experiences that will put them a step ahead when they are ready for their career. We are producing students who are prepared to fill jobs and will be able to make immediate impact on our community as a whole.”
In addition to learning spaces, the facility will have recreational courtyard and seating areas, as well as a patio on the third level, and study stations for students to collaborate on projects and complete work outside of class time.
Construction services will be provided by SpawGlass with an estimated completion date in August 2024. LIT’s mission is to offer educational programs and training that will expand knowledge, encourage continued development, and give students marketable skills for today’s workforce.
Ranked as the 24th fastest growing two-year college with enrollment over 4,000 by Community College Week, LIT is a two-year technical college offering associate of applied science degrees and certificates of completion in more than 50 educational programs in the fields of industry, business and allied health, and continuing education certificate programs in workforce training.
LIT offers degree and certificate programs in technology, operational supervision, allied health and workforce training, and is one of the largest producers of process operators and instrumentation technicians in the world, with more than 500 students continuously enrolled in these programs.
With the completion of its $8 million multi-purpose center in 1998, allied health programs are housed in a modern 57,000 square foot facility with state-of-the-art equipment, featuring the only dental hygiene program between New Orleans and Houston.
Also, as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, LIT was the first institution of higher education in Texas to be authorized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer degree and certificate programs in homeland security; LIT now offers degrees in crime scene investigation, as well as security threat groups.