The building also includes a STEM center aimed at introducing younger students to technical careers and creating a pipeline into CEI programs and the region’s workforce.
“When we invest in students, we’re investing in our future workforce,” said Dan Thurman, CEO of Frontier Credit Union.
The 88,000-square-foot building took roughly two years to complete and connects students with the technology and hands-on training they’ll encounter in the workplace.
Built for hands-on learning
Future Tech consolidates several of CEI’s technical programs into one facility, with classrooms designed around hands-on instruction more than traditional lecture-based learning.
The cybersecurity program includes an active-learning room where students build their own desktop computers as part of their coursework. Classrooms feature touch-screen displays and large monitors.
The mechatronics lab provides space to program and work with robots, allowing students to practice automation and industrial technology skills.
A new AgTech program will bring robotics and drones into agriculture education. Students will learn to use technology such as farm robots to monitor soil pH and irrigation. The program is expected to begin in 2027. Some of the coursework is already being taught in CEI’s Energy Solutions program, with students moving into AgTech coursework in their second year.
Future Tech also houses CEI’s surgical technology program, where students train in simulated operating rooms. The lab includes operating-room stations, scrub centers, simulated patients and equipment that allows students to practice procedures before entering a real healthcare setting.
The building’s Innovation Alley and makerspace include 3D printers and space for student clubs and collaborative projects.
Starting the STEM pipeline earlier
Future Tech isn’t just for college students. The building will house the Battelle Energy Alliance Applied STEM Institute, a partnership designed to introduce middle and high school students to STEM careers and create connections between secondary schools, CEI and local employers.
The center will provide opportunities for younger students to work with technology and explore fields like engineering, energy and other technical careers.
The approach aims to give students a clearer path from high school into CEI programs and, eventually, into the local workforce.
Industry partners, including INL, have for years helped shape CEI’s programs through advisory boards and other partnerships.
Wagner, INL’s director, said the building will help expand those connections: “This building kind of just gives us a home, a direct place where (training and curriculum development) is occurring.”
A $52 million investment
Future Tech cost about $52 million and took roughly two years to build.
Battelle Energy Alliance, the contractor that operates INL, contributed $5.5 million to the project, while Frontier Credit Union contributed $3.5 million.
The project was funded through a combination of state appropriations, CEI funds and private contributions from industry and community partners. Industry and community needs influenced the design, CEI officials said, and the college has worked with employers to align its programs with workforce needs.
The building’s Frontier Conference Center also gives the community a new space for meetings, lectures and events. The configurable space includes a kitchen and catering area and can be rented by community organizations.
A café, The Generator, is slated to open in September, and the building includes common areas where students can study and collaborate.
More room for a growing college
The building comes as CEI’s enrollment continues to grow.
Fall enrollment increased 7.7% from the previous year, according to college spokeswoman Brenna Pincock. Administrators attribute some of the growth to increasing awareness of CEI’s programs, particularly as the college has expanded its offerings in technical and workforce fields.
Future Tech is intended to make those programs more accessible while creating smoother pathways into four-year programs and local careers.
The building also houses an associate degree in engineering, giving students a path to complete foundational engineering coursework before transferring to a four-year university.
For CEI, the building represents more than additional classroom space. Its labs, student programs and industry partnerships are designed to connect education to area employers’ needs.
Barber said the community’s role in creating that opportunity should be a focal point.
“Under the rocks and bricks and mortar of this building are the words, and a lot of those words, most of those words are yours,” she said.
Disclosure: Reporter Devin Bodkin worked at Idaho National Laboratory before returning to EdNews in December.
