Baton Rouge Community College officially broke ground Wednesday on the Capital City Construction Lab that will serve as a hands-on, open-air student learning environment designed to replicate real-world construction conditions.
BRCC and Baton Rouge Community College Foundation received an $850,000 Gable Grant
from the Lowe’s Foundation to fund construction and establish the BRCC Plumbing Program
- one of the programs that will utilize this facility upon completion.
The Capital City Construction Lab will provide BRCC students with a learning space
to gain practical skills in carpentry, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing, ensuring BRCC’s
commitment to the Lowe’s Foundation national goal of preparing 50,000 people for skilled
trades careers by 2028.
“Baton Rouge Community College is the No. 1 talent developer in the capital region, and this new construction lab provides us with the perfect place to help train our students,” BRCC Chancellor Willie E. Smith Sr. said. “The more hands-on training we can provide to our students, the more job-ready they will be when they graduate. Every beam, every tool, and every lesson that will happen here is designed to prepare our students to step into high-wage, high-demand careers that strengthen our communities and our economy. The Lowe’s Foundation is the perfect partner for us on this project because they have a goal to help train skilled workers across the nation, and BRCC can help them meet that goal in Louisiana.”
Nearly 1,000 BRCC students are currently enrolled in the skilled trades programs and will utilize the cutting-edge facility.
“Collectively, we are writing a comeback story for the skilled trades industry,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Through our Gable Grants network, BRCC is part of a community of innovators helping one another effectively recruit, train and employ the people America needs to revitalize our infrastructure.”
This facility represents BRCC’s ongoing commitment to building Louisiana’s future
workforce.
The new lab is located on BRCC’s Mid City Campus, adjacent to the Cypress Building
that houses STEM education.
Students will be engaged in the building process of the Capital City Construction
Lab in real time, offering hands-on learning experiences.
The lab will be an open-air learning environment designed to replicate real-world
construction conditions. It will feature a waterproof canopy, making it usable in
most weather conditions, and wide entryways to allow heavy equipment and machinery
to move in and out for students to learn on actual job-site equipment.
The lab will be equipped with the latest construction management technology and software,
including interactive digital displays to showcase blueprints, simulations and real-time
project updates.
The BRCC Construction Management (CM) degree program is the only two-year degree program
accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) in Louisiana
and one of only 15 ACCE-accredited two-year programs in the nation.
*Photos Credit: Armondo Frank, BRCC Communications