Howard County officials celebrated the investment of state and local funding in the new Workforce Development & Trades Center at Howard Community College, with the hope that it will be completed by June 2026.

“We’re investing in building a stronger workforce for a stronger Howard County, a stronger Maryland, a stronger region. We will meet the magic in this moment before it becomes a memory,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said during a news conference.

Ball included $5 million in county funding and $3.6 million in funding from HCC for the center in his proposed capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The state will provide a match of $11.9 million.

The new center will offer training in manufacturing, automotive technology, green and environmental technology, skilled trades and cybersecurity, Ball said.

Anyone can take classes to build new skills or refresh old ones to “be productive citizens of society,” HCC President Daria Willis said.

The center’s curriculum is being developed. Willis said the plan is to bring in brand-new “high-tech” equipment for students.

They will then be able to practice their skills and techniques on a makeshift house in the building. Those in the automotive program will get to practice performing oil changes for customers.

As the county, which is home to about 300 cyber companies, works to be the “cyber capital of the world,” the center will be crucial to growing the industry, Ball said.

“It is by design that we are creating a pipeline for the skills and jobs that are needed right here in Howard County, our region, our nation and our world,” Ball said. “Technological advancements are rapidly evolving, and this center will ensure that we can compete.”

About 45 years ago, the first president of HCC announced that a trade center was needed, Willis said. In October 2023, she launched a two-year capital campaign to support construction of the center to address a workforce gap in trades and technical fields, according to the HCC website.

Construction is anticipated to take about 18 months and is scheduled to be finished in April 2026. Willis announced Thursday that “we got that last permit in,” so more heavy-duty construction equipment will be on campus within the coming weeks, and the building should be ready for students as early as June 2026.

The funding for the center’s construction comes at a time of economic turmoil and uncertainty for the county’s large population of federal workers, as they grapple with cuts to the federal workforce. Ball has recently ramped up his efforts to support federal workers, hosting two career fairs, expanding resources for those facing food insecurity and other issues, and enhancing support for those looking to start their own business.

The Workforce Development & Trades Center is another step in ensuring that, through the challenge of these “tumultuous times,” the county and region can be successful, Ball said. It would be great to have more support for trades and the workforce from the federal government, but with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency making severe cuts, the county will continue working with the state and HCC to make progress, Ball said.

“Because of our fantastic state partners, because of the hard work of Dr. Willis, the board of trustees and their team, we are coming together with our community and various stakeholders to ensure that we move this vision forward for our community and for our future,” he said.

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