Sinclair Community College plans to spend $30 million from its reserves to transform an underused campus building into a technology hub that officials said will prepare students for AI-driven workplaces.
Sinclair unveiled its plans for the Integrated Technology Education Center (ITEC) during a press conference on Thursday.
Sinclair President Dr. Steven L. Johnson said Building 8 on campus will be turned into the ITEC through a complete renovation and modernization, creating a 36,000-square-foot facility with a second-level 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot mezzanine.
Anticipated to open in Spring 2027, the ITEC is expected to serve over 7,500 students annually, according to college officials. Johnson said the space is currently used by only a few hundred students every year.
"This investment is more than a redesigned building. It represents Sinclair's strategy to reimagine technology and curriculum, ensuring we remain responsive and connected to the needs of our students and our employers," said Dr. Melissa Tolle, Senior Vice President at Sinclair.
The ITEC initiative comes as the Dayton region and Ohio face "unprecedented workforce challenges," with hundreds of thousands of job opportunities across industries, according to State Representative Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.), chair of the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee.
"Sinclair not only turns the key, but you all are innovative, and even more than that, you're disruptive," Young said during the press conference. "We're transforming from the digital revolution to artificial intelligence, quantum computing. And this is a step far beyond what I'm seeing in other places."
Developed in collaboration with employers across Dayton, the center will offer credentials and real-world learning environments designed for high-demand careers, according to Sinclair.
"Tomorrow's students and tomorrow's workforce must be prepared for a world where IT, cybersecurity, and AI are not optional skills, but fundamental skills," said Joe Sciabica, Executive Director of the Employers' Workforce Coalition and a Sinclair Trustee.
Rob Connelly, Executive Chairman of Dayton-based The Henny Penny Corporation and a member of the Sinclair Board of Trustees, framed the investment as a response to inevitable technological transformation.
"Is technology in the future going to be a bigger part of our lives and work? Or is it going to be less? What we all conclude is it's going to be a lot more," Connelly said.
Officials at the conference directly addressed concerns about artificial intelligence displacing workers, arguing that ITEC will help Sinclair students learn to work with AI rather than be replaced by it.
Johnson said the college's position is unique, as one of the few higher education institutions in Ohio operating without debt, which allowed Sinclair to make this sort of investment.
"We operate on a pay-as-we-go basis. We've been saving money for this kind of strategy," Johnson said. "This money will not come from loans. It's money we have saved over the years to apply."
