A ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held at the new downtown campus of Marion Technical College, established to increase access to college education by reducing transportation barriers.
After a five-month delay, administrators at Marion Technical College and local leaders were able to hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Marion Tech Downtown on May 6. The satellite location was opened December 6 but the ceremony was delayed due to COVID-19. The new location is home to the Workforce Solutions program which offers training, certifications, and employee selection to local employers. MTC's college business competition, The Forge, will also host classes at the new campus and new business start-ups can rent office space there. The downtown campus occupies the second floor of the Fisher Building.
As reported by The Marion Star, the idea to open the Marion Tech Downtown campus was inspired by the experiences of students. As MTC President Ryan McCall recounted at the ribbon cutting, "We have heard stories of students who come to our campus, they drive on campus, they sit in their car and then they are afraid to get out and they go back home. And they do that three, four, five times before they finally get up the courage to walk into the building because it's a college campus. And so, as I started thinking about that, I start talking to my exec team and saying, 'Are we really accessible? What can we do to become more accessible?' And that's when the vision of having something downtown started."
As home for the Workforce Solution Program, The Forge, a GED program, and other learning initiatives, the Marion Tech Downtown campus location was chosen for its accessibility. Building owner, Lois Fisher, explained the advantages of the centralized location and her eagerness to work with MTC. "When we started working with Marion Tech, I just have to tell you, I was overly excited about this," Fisher said. She added, "There's feet on the street, many people are coming here and they know all the good things that are happening in our downtown. And I think that's what we are all working together to achieve and as soon as the masks are gone, of course, it is going to be so wonderful to see those feet on the street."
Marion Mayor Scott Schertzer was also on hand at the ribbon cutting and emphasized the spirit of teamwork that contributed to the establishment of the downtown campus. Mayor Schertzer said, "Collaboration and cooperation is at the highest level in this community that I have ever seen, and that's why we celebrate ribbon cuttings and successes in downtown Marion and all across our community."