Manufacturing & Skilled Trades

An introduction to manufacturing technologies and other skilled trades is available for students with options to earn associate degrees and certificates. Recently added programs include the Commercial Driving School, Plumbing/Pipefitting, Robotics/Automation, Hydraulics/Pneumatics, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Electrical/Electronics, Facilities Maintenance, and more.

Learning is enhanced by partnerships with local employers like GM. In fact, SCC was selected in February 2023 by the American Association of Community Colleges as one of seven community colleges to receive grant funding from GM to help grow community college advanced manufacturing programs.

 

 

Welding and Technology

Welding and other technical programs like Mechatronics currently are held at the Technical Campus Wentzville, leased by SCC at 209 West Pearce Blvd. in Wentzville.

On the main campus in Cottleville, some updates to the Technology Building allow students to be introduced to new technology such as holograms, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, microchips, gaming and esports. Much of the space is focused on engaging student learning through emerging and future technologies.

These programs are in the same space as Computer Science, Information Technology, and Multimedia and Web Development programs.

 

 

Healthcare Partnerships

Partnerships with healthcare providers help students jumpstart careers as Patient Care Technicians and Medical Assistants. A partnership with a local school district allows high school students to start the Certified Nursing Assistant Program.

Other healthcare programs located at the Center for Healthy Living at the Dardenne Creek Campus include Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding and more. Students get hands-on learning in the college’s virtual hospital and other spaces designed for realistic learning.

 

 

Culinary and Agriculture

Hydroponic farming arrived in 2022 at the Field to Table Institute, also located at SCC’s Dardenne Creek Campus. Students studying Culinary or Agriculture learn the concept of going directly from the field to the table, and the connection between farming, food, healthcare, and quality of live.

SCC is the first community college to introduce a freight farm, which transforms a large shipping container into a state-of-the-art vertical farm, using the latest technology. It’s a game changer when you think about instruction that now can be 365 days of the year instead of being limited to a growing season.

Partnering with healthcare providers, SCC now has the capacity to teach others how to cook meals for individuals struggling with health issues, such as diabetes. Faculty are thinking about curriculum in a way that extends beyond just what the student needs to know, but also how it can have a greater benefit to the community.

In addition to credit programs, the Field to Table Institute also is available for private events like trade shows, conferences or team building. There also are community-based courses in food, gardening, health and sustainability.

 

Corporate Training and Partnerships

SCC partners with community and regional businesses, organizations and government agencies to develop the workforce skills needed for in-demand jobs in our community and region.

 

Regional Workforce Innovation Center

Coming in 2025

Expanding west, St. Charles Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, for its new, innovative, future-focused, Regional Workforce Innovation Center. It will be the first building on the college’s new 55-acre campus, at the corner of Interstate Drive and Schaper Road in Wentzville.

SCC’s Regional Workforce Innovation Center will prepare the region’s workforce for jobs in technology, advanced manufacturing, robotics, sustainable energy, healthcare, and more.

SCC will introduce new programs in advanced manufacturing, including battery technology, electric and autonomous vehicles, renewable wind and solar energy, high-tech processes, and robotics. In addition to providing education and training for students, the college will have a “Make-it Center” lab where students in middle and high school can explore new technology such as how a 3-D printer works and even operate a robotic arm.

The Regional Workforce Innovation Center is funded primarily by the state through the American Rescue Plan Act funds and the MoExcels Workforce Initiative.