While Ford Hall once served as the central hub for agriculture students at Southeast Community College, a new Agriculture Technology Center in Beatrice will soon take that role, bringing classrooms, labs and hands-on training under one roof.
A decade in the making, the new facility is aimed squarely at one of Nebraska’s biggest challenges: a gap in skilled workforce.
SCC President Dr. Paul Illich said the $7.24 million project, now underway on the Beatrice campus, will expand capacity for agriculture training while aligning education more closely with modern industry needs and keeping more graduates in the state.
A DECADE IN THE MAKING
“We’ve actually been working on this for about a decade,” Illich said at the groundbreaking. “What this means is that now, instead of having to turn away students … we’ll have the modern space that they need with the equipment that is consistent with the industry standard.”
The facility, expected to open in the fall of 2028, will house agriculture programs, including lab space, classrooms and animal handling areas, with future plans for an arena. It is part of a broader push by SCC to scale up training across multiple sectors as workforce shortages persist statewide.
CLOSING NEBRASKA’S SKILLED WORKFORCE GAP
Illich said the college already produces graduates in high-demand fields but not at the scale needed.
“We produce about 7,000 graduates every five years in exactly the same places where we have shortages,” he said. “At SCC, we place between 85 and 90 percent, depending on the program, right here in Nebraska. So the solution is right there in front of us. We have to scale up.”
The expansion comes as agriculture rapidly evolves with precision technology and artificial intelligence, trends Illich said are shaping how the new center is designed.
“We know everything is going to be involving advanced technology,” he said. “So we’re being very careful not to create spaces that are static. This is going to be a very flexible technology center.”
SKILLS AND TECH EXPECTED TODAY, DEMANDED TOMORROW
In addition to traditional students, the facility will serve employers through customized training and continuing education, which is a growing need as technology advances.
“It’s not just about credentialing,” Illich said. “Once the student graduates, a few years later they might need some customized training. The employer can send them back to us, and we can do that.”
The project reflects a broader funding model that blends public and private support, including a small capital levy, student fees and private donations. SCC has raised nearly $30 million for recent capital projects, Illich said, emphasizing community partnerships.
“We try to create a funding system where everybody gets to participate,” he said.
EXPANSION ACROSS ALL SCC CAMPUSES
The Ag Technology Center is one of several major projects underway across SCC’s three campuses, including the recently opened welding technology center in Lincoln, a new diesel technology and welding facility in Milford, and upcoming projects such as a construction technology center in Milford and a life sciences facility in Lincoln.
Together, the projects reflect a coordinated effort to expand capacity in high-demand fields ranging from agriculture and skilled trades to healthcare.
“We’ve added 2,500 students just in the last four years,” Illich said. “The main focus at SCC is how do we solve the skilled workforce problem. And it takes very proactive, strategic focus to make that happen.”
