The ORBIT Center will be ready for classes in early 2025, focusing on skilled trades, manufacturing, and workforce development.
On Wednesday, October 30, officials from the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC), along with representatives from Denovo Construction Solutions and various contractors, conducted a progress walk-through of Osceola’s upcoming ORBIT Center. Situated off Highway 34 near the Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Osceola Center, the ORBIT center is on track to be one of the first technology education facilities in south-central Iowa. With construction set for completion in late December, anticipation for 2025 classes and training programs for regional students and manufacturers is growing.
“The launch of the ORBIT Center was a long time coming,” said Andrew Clark, CCDC Executive Director. “With the support from local and regional school districts, manufacturers and municipalities, the ORBIT Center will be a real asset to our education and manufacturing communities for years to come.”
Discussions about the ORBIT Center have been ongoing between the Development Corporation and local businesses for years. With rising demand for a skilled and tech-savvy workforce both locally and nationwide, the CCDC aimed to create a facility that could provide such educational opportunities in Clarke County.
The development of the center included a facilitation and management agreement with SWCC. Traditionally, educational programming has been based at SWCC’s main campus in Creston, IA. With the new ORBIT Center, SWCC will now be able to deliver innovative curriculum to meet the needs of businesses throughout the region, enhancing the capacity to train and grow the workforce locally.
“We are very excited to partner with [CCDC] in this endeavor,” said Wayne Pantini, SWCC Vice President of Economic Development. “This will allow us to focus on meeting the needs of area industries by providing critical training to upskill current and new workforce.”
With approximately 9,000 square feet of technology lab space, the ORBIT Center will be a multi-functional training facility for the region.
Once the center opens in early 2025, SWCC plans to move its Applied Engineering Technology program from the Creston campus to the ORBIT Center. This will enable the college to offer state-of-the-art equipment in an industrial lab setting for training in areas such as pneumatics, 3D printing, robotics, and control systems.
“The ORBIT Center will be a hub for short-course training and college credits for those that want to pursue a degree and specialize in their field of interest,” said Pantini. “We also see the center as a catalyst for future career academy programming for area high school students as well to provide educational opportunities right here in southern Iowa.”
Funding for the ORBIT Center comes primarily from a $2 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration, supplemented by financial support from the Clarke County Development Corporation.
With a focus on practical, hands-on training and the potential to expand into high school and continuing education programs, the ORBIT Center is set to become a pivotal initiative, transforming Osceola into a hub of manufacturing excellence and educational opportunity in south-central Iowa.