SCC-Beatrice breaks ground on Ag Technology Center to address skilled workforce shortage

While Ford Hall once served as the central hub for agriculture students at Southeast Community College, a new Agriculture Technology Center in Beatrice will soon take that role, bringing classrooms, labs and hands-on training under one roof. A decade in the making, the new facility is aimed squarely at one of Nebraska’s biggest challenges: a gap in skilled workforce. SCC President Dr. Paul Illich said the $7.24 million project, now underway on the Beatrice campus, will expand capacity for agriculture training while aligning education more closely with modern industry needs and keeping more graduates in the state.