State appropriates $30 million matching grant
Over the course of the past four years, Northland Career Center (NCC) in partnership with Platte County School District (PCR-3), has been developing a vision and plan to create a new, state-of-the-art, career center at a centralized location for its Northland consortium. NCC and PCR-3 leaders have engaged various strategic partners to develop and market a future building concept.
This concept became a more concrete idea in April 2021, after a presentation to the Missouri House Subcommittee on Federal Stimulus Funds. Additional details and a cost estimate were then developed and presented during the fall of 2021.
The Northland, like most regions in Missouri, is experiencing a considerable workforce shortage. NCC has been at the table with several organizations and local, state, and federal legislators to discuss solutions for building a better workforce.
NCC is one of 57 centers that was built in Missouri between 1966 and 1985. The original Platte County Area Vocational Technical School (now NCC) was built in 1979, with the assistance of the Missouri General Assembly, federal grants/dollars, and local funding. NCC has twelve career-focused programs on its campus, and has outgrown its space with no room for expansion. A new location will support a larger and more diverse student population. Due to space limitations, NCC is turning away hundreds of qualified, interested students every year.
NCC’s proposed new facility will cost approximately $60 million. In May of 2022, the Missouri State Legislature invested in this workforce initiative by appropriating $30 million of its FY 2023 budget to support NCC’s cause to build and grow a Northland workforce in Clay and Platte Counties.
Leaders will now be challenged to seek matching funds from various local, regional, state, and federal sources.
For this vision to become a reality, there needed to be financial support from the state legislature. NCC has garnished the support of Northland legislators and Missouri’s governor, after hosting and visiting with them in Jefferson City over the past 14 months.
“We could not be more thankful for our Clay and Platte County legislators who supported our ideas and vision to be a workforce champion with this new center. Our senators and representatives engaged with us, listened to our needs and championed the project through their respective legislative bodies in Jefferson City,” said Brian Noller, director of the Northland Career Center. “Thank you also to Gov. Mike Parson for his continued support of Northland Career Center and career and technical education in Missouri.”
For more information contact Brian Noller at (816) 206-8750 or nollerb@platteco.k12.mo.us
