Rotarians from around Clark County joined Clark College Foundation and Clark College for a tour of the new Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) at Boschma Farms on February 4. Located just east of the Ridgefield Junction, the building will welcome its first general education classes during spring term. The Advanced Manufacturing program is under development.

Angela Torretta, above, of Clark College Foundation welcomed the Rotarians: “Clark College at Boschma Farms exists due to community demand. The college has been in conversation with individuals and organizations in Clark County who have shared the need for a local training center to provide skills to the current and future advanced manufacturing workforce.”  
 
Next, Amy Easton, president of the Rotary Club of Greater Clark County, stood on the steps of the AMC and greeted her fellow Rotarians: “This is a unique opportunity for all seven Clark County Rotary clubs to come together, foster collaboration, and celebrate our shared commitment to supporting education and strengthening connections within our community.”

Jay Schmidt, board chair of the High-Tech Council and Clark College’s Advanced Manufacturing Advisory Committee, paraphrased Dr. Terry Brown, Clark’s vice president of instruction: “This building will be a great place for experiential learning.”

Then the Rotarians divided into groups for a guided tour of the state-of-the-art building. They toured the classrooms equipped with the latest advanced manufacturing technology, the light-filled general education classrooms with high ceilings and tall windows, the quality assurance lab, the computer lab, and the collaboration spaces. They also toured conference rooms and other spaces that will be available for the community to rent for meetings, community groups, and other events.

The tour ended in the impressive high bay—the heart of the building. Here students will learn the fundamentals of advanced manufacturing, which is a network of automated technology designed to produce products with high efficiency in manufacturing processes, while reducing lead times, materials, and manufacturing defects.

Will Zander, above far left, director of the new Advanced Manufacturing program, stood in the enormous high bay and pointed out the equipment to the Rotarians.

In the next 10 years, the region of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon anticipates a shortage of 1,755 advanced manufacturing technicians. Designed with input from industry partners, this high-bay, and the entire Advanced Manufacturing Center, is where students will gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to step into an in-demand career and meet the growing industry need.

Soon, Clark College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center at Boschma Farms will be a hub of experiential learning that will train the workforce for tomorrow.

All seven Rotary clubs in Clark County were present:

• Rotary Club of Greater Clark County
• Rotary Club of Vancouver
• Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
• Rotary Club of Battle Ground
• Rotary Club of Camas-Washougal
• Rotary Club of Lewis River
• Rotary Club of Three Creeks

Q & A with Amy Easton, president, the Rotary Club of Greater Clark County

It was Amy Easton’s idea to offer Rotarians a tour of the AMC.

Q: Why did you decide Rotarians should tour the AMC?

AE: Rotarians are deeply committed to supporting education, workforce development, and community engagement, so when I learned about the new Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) at Clark College, I saw a great opportunity for all seven Clark County Rotary clubs to come together and experience this transformative project firsthand.

The AMC represents a major investment in technical education and job training, which aligns with Rotary’s mission to foster economic development and strengthen communities. I wanted our members to see how this facility will prepare students for in-demand careers, and how Rotary can continue to support initiatives that create lasting impact in our region.

Q: When did you reach out to the Foundation?

AE: I first connected with the Clark College Foundation last summer to explore the possibility of organizing a tour for Rotarians. From the start, the Foundation was enthusiastic about the idea, and we worked closely to coordinate an event that would give Rotarians an inside look at the facility before it officially opens to students. The collaboration was fantastic, and we’re so grateful to the Foundation for helping make this event happen.

Q: What do you think about the Advanced Manufacturing Center and Clark College having a presence in Ridgefield/North Clark County?

AE: The Advanced Manufacturing Center is a game-changer for Ridgefield and North Clark County. It not only expands Clark College’s reach but also creates new opportunities for students, local businesses, and the workforce in this growing region.

By providing hands-on training in advanced manufacturing and skilled trades, the AMC will help bridge the gap between education and industry, ensuring that students graduate with the skills needed to succeed in high-demand careers.

Having this state-of-the-art facility in Ridgefield means that local students and employers alike will benefit from a stronger, more connected pipeline of talent, boosting economic growth in North Clark County and beyond.

Learn more: https://www.clark.edu/about/visitors-guide/getting-to-clark/boschma/

Photos not credited: Clark College/Susan Parrish

The Advanced Manufacturing Center at the Boschma Farms campus in Ridgefield has officially finished construction. To celebrate, developer and design-builder Mortenson officially presented Clark College with the keys this past Tuesday, November 19.

The ceremony, held in the new building, welcomed around 100 guests, including the Clark College Foundation and Board of Trustees, the City of Ridgefield, and on-site workers and trade partners. After speeches by project leadership, Clark’s mascot Oswald the Penguin helped accept the symbolic key presented by Mortenson.

Speakers:  

• Dr. Karin Edwards, President, Clark College
• Sabra Sand, Vice President of Operations, Clark College
• Carolyn Sizemore, Market Director, Mortenson

Clark College will begin moving into its first building, the Advanced Manufacturing Center, over the next few months and readying the space for classes to begin in 2025. General education classes will be held there in Spring 2025; five general education classrooms and one computer lab will accommodate a future capacity to serve up to 1,200 students per term. 

By Fall 2025, the complex will become the hub for the college’s advanced manufacturing program which is currently in development. When completed, the program will provide an initial enrollment of 32 students in two cohorts of 16, with plans to eventually serve 48 students across three cohorts. A grand opening is planned for 2025 when the college officially opens its doors.

Located on a 10-acre property east of the Ridgefield Junction, the 49,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center features a vast open manufacturing floor, collaboration zones, satellite instructional facilities, classrooms, laboratories, offices, and more. The 35,000 square feet dedicated to manufacturing training includes three industry-specific classrooms, four labs, five manufacturing cells, and a vast open manufacturing floor. The remaining 14,000 square feet houses the five general education classrooms, along with faculty and student amenities.

Manufacturing and classroom spaces in the Advanced Manufacturing Center are designed for multiple delivery modes including lecture, collaborative, project-based learning, and hybrid models implementing online content and classroom application. The facility’s acoustic design ensures that unamplified voice communication will carry above ambient machine noise. The flexible design of the structure is envisioned to accommodate future growth and will serve students, Ridgefield, and other north Clark County communities.

“This milestone marks an incredible step forward for Clark College and the Ridgefield community,” said Dr. Edwards. “We are committed to delivering an education environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and workforce readiness. The Advanced Manufacturing Center will provide invaluable opportunities to develop critical skills in a growing field, allowing us to support the region’s workforce and expand educational access in north Clark County.”

Mortenson’s Market Director, Carolyn Sizemore emphasized the project’s unique attributes. The LEED Silver-certified Advanced Manufacturing Center meets state energy performance standards, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and improves operational efficiencies. The progressive design-build construction delivery method used on the building was spearheaded by Mortenson in collaboration with Henneberry Eddy Architects; this delivery method proved instrumental to the successful implementation of the use of prefabrication in this project and the resulting efficiencies.

Mortenson is a U.S.-based builder, developer, and engineering services provider serving the commercial, institutional, and energy sectors. Their portfolio of integrated services helps its customers move their strategies forward, resulting as a turnkey partner, fully invested in the business success of its customers.

“The Advanced Manufacturing Center is a stunning testament to what can be achieved when stakeholders come together with a shared vision,” said Sizemore. “Clark College envisioned a sustainable, future-ready facility adaptable for growth in the Ridgefield community. We are proud to deliver this anchor building on the Ridgefield campus and we are confident that it will exceed the aspirations of Clark College and the Ridgefield community.”

View more photos from the event on our Flickr page. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBSpxw

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College is hosting a free workshop for women interested in advanced manufacturing and the mechanical trades on Thursday, September 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Clark College’s main campus. 

This roll-up-your-sleeves event is designed specifically for women to learn about the exciting career opportunities that are available in the mechanical and advanced-manufacturing fields. Guests will be able to tour the college’s Automotive, Diesel, and Welding labs, participate in hands-on activities, and speak with professors.  

Closed-toe shoes and long jeans are required; long-sleeved shirts are recommended. Safety goggles and masks are required and will be provided. 

Properly trained technicians are in high demand in the advanced manufacturing and mechanical industries, and these careers can be rewarding both financially and professionally. However, a recent study found that only 1 in 3 manufacturing professionals are women. 

“We know that, even in this day and age, women can be discouraged from pursuing careers in fields like automotive technology and welding,” said Armetta Burney, Clark College Interim Dean of Workforce Professional Technical Education and STEM. “And yet for years we’ve seen our female students succeed in these programs and enter the workforce. The college is holding this event in hopes of showing women the range of career opportunities available to them.” 

Two $1,800 scholarships will be made available to students who attend this event and enroll in a Clark College Automotive, Diesel, or Welding program by fall 2022. One scholarship was made available by Madden Industrial Craftsmen, the other through an anonymous donor.  

Women interested in attending the event can learn more at https://tinyurl.com/yfb6e6qk or contact Hernan Garzon at hgarzon@clark.edu. The event is free and open to the public, though prior registration is encouraged. Guests will meet in the Automotive Technology lab on Clark College’s main campus (near the Orange 1 parking lot), 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps. If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, you should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-992-0901 VP, as soon as possible.   

Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds.