FORT PIERCE — The highly anticipated Grand Opening of the Indian River State College Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 11:30 a.m. The event is open to the public and will feature remarks, a ceremonial ribbon cutting, and interactive tours and exhibits.

Located on the southeast side of the Indian River State College Massey Campus at 3209 Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce, the 60,000-square-foot Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex is Florida’s newest, most technologically advanced workforce training facility. Inside, students train in immersive educational environments with a network of experienced instructors, utilizing best-in-class technology as they build the critical skills required for rewarding careers in high-demand occupations.

Student Kaileb Riffel operates a welder.

Expansive laboratories dedicated to Mechatronics, Robotics and Smart Automation, Welding, Automotive Technology, Refrigeration, HVAC, and more are carefully designed and outfitted to support students as they earn certifications and degrees in programs that help satisfy the region’s growing need for a highly skilled talent pipeline.

The site is also home to and informed by the Advanced Manufacturing Hub, a collaborative effort to address the looming shortage of local workforce in precision machining, industrial automation systems, integrated smart factory operations, supply chain automation and logistics. The Hub offers a broad range of programs introducing critical knowledge and hands-on skills in areas enabling the growth and automation of Industry 4.0.—the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector.

“The manufacturing industry in America is growing rapidly, and Florida, in particular, is home to an expanding manufacturing ecosystem,” said Indian River State College President Dr. Timothy Moore. “With the opening of our Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex, Indian River State College is poised to deliver a talent pipeline that meets the workforce needs of today and tomorrow, bolstering our region’s economy and attractiveness to employers, expanding career opportunities for our citizens, and helping realize Governor Ron DeSantis’s goal to be the number one state in the nation for workforce education by 2030.”

Indian River State College broke ground on the Complex in December 2020, just three months after Dr. Timothy Moore was introduced as its new President. In 2021, the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex was renamed after engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Richard H. Eastman and his family gifted $2 million toward the facility’s construction.

The project is additionally supported by local businesses, foundations, families and individuals who champion Indian River State College’s mission to transform lives through high-quality education that is both affordable and accessible. The Treasure Coast Legislative Delegation helped the College secure more than $21 million in Capital Outlay funding from 2016 through 2021, and $2 million was secured through a federal Economic Development Administration grant.

Members of the public interested in attending the Grand Opening event should R.S.V.P. to Colleen Cornell at 772-462-4786 or ccornell@irsc.edu.

About Indian River State College
A leader in education and innovation, Indian River State College transforms lives by offering high-quality, affordable and accessible education to the residents of Florida’s Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties through traditional and online delivery. IRSC is a recipient of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. The College serves nearly 22,000 students annually and offers more than 100 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, Associate degrees, technical certificates and applied technology diplomas. Learn more at https://www.irsc.edu/.