{"id":2809,"date":"2025-01-16T10:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T16:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thexradio3.com\/news\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2025-01-16T10:52:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T16:52:55","slug":"governor-announces-building-project-at-occ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/2809-governor-announces-building-project-at-occ\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Announces Building Project at OCC"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced construction will begin on the $3.15 million, 8,000-square-foot Applied Technology Center at Olney Central College (OCC), one of four colleges within Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. Funded through the Rebuild Illinois capital program, the project represents a significant investment in the future of healthcare education and workforce readiness in the region.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough Rebuild Illinois, we\u2019re investing in the infrastructure of community colleges to open doors for students and strengthen local communities,\u201d&nbsp;said Pritzker.&nbsp;\u201cThe Applied Technology Center at Olney Central College will enhance healthcare education in southeastern Illinois, equipping students with state-of-the-art tools and hands-on learning to build a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce for the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Construction is set to begin in early 2025 and will involve a major addition to Dr. Kent L. Wattleworth Hall, which will house OCC\u2019s radiography and nursing programs. The new facility will feature state-of-the-art classrooms, high-tech simulation and skills labs, faculty office space, a student lounge, laundry facilities, and enhanced storage. Notably, radiography students will benefit from having an energized lab on campus for the first time in the program\u2019s 30-year history.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Capital Development Board is proud to partner with Olney Central College to support the growth of healthcare education in Illinois,\u201d&nbsp;said CDB Executive Director, TJ Edwards.&nbsp;\u201cThis project underscores our commitment to enhancing educational facilities to meet workforce needs, and we are excited to see how this new center will empower students and benefit the community for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Applied Technology Center marks the largest classroom addition at OCC in more than a decade and the most extensive renovation to OCC\u2019s main building since its opening in 1974. The project includes revamping the existing classrooms (106, 107, and 108) and seamlessly integrating them into the new facility, which is designed by Graham &amp; Hyde Architects, Inc.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is really a significant improvement for Wattleworth Hall and a real game-changer for Allied Health,\u201d&nbsp;said President of Olney Central College, Chris Simpson.&nbsp;\u201cThis construction project will have a huge impact on the OCC Nursing and Radiography programs. It\u2019s exciting to see it finally come to reality, and this is something we really want to celebrate. Allied Health Programs are some of our most successful, creating graduates who are workforce ready. I think this not only helps the college\u2019s efforts to improve, but it will have a far-reaching impact in the community because the graduates we produce will be working within our local healthcare facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Applied Technology Center at Olney Central College represents our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art education through advanced simulation and hands-on learning,\u201d&nbsp;said Dean of Health Professions, Dr. Alani Frederick.&nbsp;\u201cNursing students will be immersed in a realistic hospital environment, allowing them to develop critical clinical judgment in a safe, supervised setting. Radiography students will gain essential experience in our energized lab, where they\u2019ll take X-rays under the guidance of expert faculty to ensure precision. By blending cutting-edge technology with expert instruction, we\u2019re preparing our students to become highly skilled healthcare professionals ready to meet the demands of today\u2019s workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to serving radiography and nursing students, the new center will support other health programs, including Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN), Massage Therapy, Phlebotomy, and the Basic Nurse Assistant Training Certificate. The facility is designed to meet modern educational standards, including clinical instruction equipment, hand-washing facilities, and specialized laboratories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced construction will begin on the $3.15 million, 8,000-square-foot Applied Technology Center at Olney Central College (OCC), one of four [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Governor Announces Building Project at OCC - 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