The technology, innovation and students in the programs housed at Gateway Technical College’s SC Johnson integrated Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd., Sturtevant, will be the transformative legacy of the center’s renovation and expansion in the years to come, said speakers at its groundbreaking event today.

“The important work you do has been a cornerstone in career training for a very long time,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “What is happening here will be truly transformative to our area.”

Economic development and career opportunities are being made possible by the center’s expansion, said Governor Scott Walker.

“That’s the most exciting thing, that’s the true legacy,” Walker said. “It’s not just a building. The building is great – the innovation, the technology, the Fab Lab, science lab, engineering lab.

“What is most exciting is the students who are here, and will be here in the future. That will be the lasting legacy.”

The expansion will add four new engineering labs, five new computer labs and eight new classrooms.

“There is no better partner than Gateway Technical College,” said Alan Yeung, Foxconn director of US Strategic Initiatives. “Together, we can retrain our existing workforce, we can build our young talent, we can leverage automation and robotics, and we can do this together.”

“Investment in our SC Johnson iMET Center will strengthen the workforce by providing new opportunities for training in advanced manufacturing and engineering,” said Gateway Technical College President and CEO Bryan Albrecht.

“As a college, we are grateful for the confidence of state and local taxpayers to grow our region’s economy by investing in workforce training. Gateway is a key partner in developing the talent needs of employers to compete in the high-skill advanced manufacturing economy.”

The nearly 36,000-square-foot expansion will support the growth and needs of Wisconn Valley employers through advanced training in Industry 4.0 careers. The work will add 35,779 square feet to the center’s current 61,238 square feet. Some existing areas will be renovated, as well.

To meet the needs of advanced manufacturing companies in the region, the project will specifically add 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to training in advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

In addition, the project will also increase the size of the college’s Fab Lab to meet the increasing number of students and community members seeking to use it, and the center’s measurement lab will be increased, as well.