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Area vocational center outlines expansion, new programs and employer pathways
Summary
Joe McGinnis, director of the regional vocational center, told the Columbia CUSD 4 board the center plans to expand from 575 to about 900 seats, add HVAC/EMT/aviation mechanics and build an industrial campus while offering internships, dual-credit and industry certifications.
Joe McGinnis, director of the area career (vocational) center, presented an extended update to the Columbia CUSD 4 board about program expansions, industry partnerships and student pathways.
"We currently have 575 seats available," McGinnis said, and with a planned industrial facility and renovations the center expects to increase capacity to roughly 900 seats. He described new programs planned for the coming years, including HVAC, emergency medical technician (EMT) training and aviation mechanics, with longer-term work to introduce avionics coursework.
McGinnis explained the selection criteria for high-demand programs: attendance, grades and readiness carry weight when applications exceed available seats. He said some programs are highly contested (auto mechanics and auto-body trades among the most competitive) and gave a concrete example: a 44-seat auto-mechanics course drew 96 applicants this year.
The center is also pursuing employer and postsecondary partnerships. McGinnis described dual-credit and accelerated pathways with SWIC and SIUE, a pilot internship program with the Carpenters Union to provide senior-year apprenticeship experience, and industry sponsors (Anderson Hospital is sponsoring the CNA program and has adjusted hiring policies to hire students at 17). He noted the center covers certification exam costs for students in cybersecurity (CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Security+) and highlighted early job placement: "We had about 15 kids hired between auto mechanics and auto body" earlier in the school year. He also said 9 of 27 cybersecurity students joined the Air Force last year.
Board members asked about logistics, dual-credit coordination and whether expansion would duplicate district CTE programming; McGinnis said the center's goal is to augment—not replace—home-district courses and to provide increased seat time and industry connections.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for districts to consider sending students and a note that the center is under construction with ongoing program scheduling for the coming three years.
