Clark County’s next generation of manufacturers will not have to travel far for hands-on training.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, lead developer and design-builder Mortenson ceremonially handed Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards a key to the Ridgefield campus Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC), marking the completion of the $62 million project.
Groundbreaking for the AMC began in June 2023, and classes are scheduled to start in spring 2025. Edwards emphasized the campus’s significance for the local community shortly after the ceremony.
“We are excited to be in the city of Ridgefield and to provide access to education for folks in the county without having them make it down to Vancouver. This is a place where innovation and creativity will thrive. It’s not your normal building [with] just regular classrooms. There are a lot of opportunities for students to make things here and to make things happen here,” Edwards said, referring to the site’s manufacturing bay.
Located at 7000 E. Pioneer St., near the Ridgefield Junction, the 49,000-square-foot facility is purpose-built for education and innovation. Its features include a 12,306-square-foot open manufacturing floor, three classrooms dedicated to industry-specific training, four specialized labs and five manufacturing cells. Additionally, the AMC houses five general education classrooms.
General education classes are set to begin in spring 2025, followed by the launch of advanced manufacturing programs in fall 2025. These programs will equip students with in-demand skills, including welding, robotics, blueprint reading and more, preparing them for careers in a rapidly evolving industry.
Initially, the program will enroll 32 students in two cohorts of 16, eventually expanding to 48 students across three cohorts. Students will be able to complete an advanced manufacturing degree in two years.
Dr. William T. Brown, Clark College’s vice president of instruction, highlighted the curriculum’s emphasis on industry-relevant skills.
“Technology is going to change. Machines are going to change, but the process from conception to completion is something we’re really emphasizing here,” Brown said. “It also includes fundamental manufacturing skills like machining, welding and blueprints — things manufacturers need their employees to be able to do. Once you understand more about the process, the better you’re going to be in the workforce.”
Brown highlighted the AMC is designed to adapt and feature additional programs and classes in the future. He noted that staff from the environmental sciences program expressed interest in utilizing the new facility for programs. Clark College staff have begun the moving process to prepare the facility for spring classes.
