The new STEM building proposed by the Citrus College Educational and Facilities Master Plan should be built first to meet industry needs. This building would be replacing the Library with more technology as opposed to physical books and will contribute to the campus becoming a zero-net energy campus.
According to the 2020-2030 Citrus College Educational and Facilities Master Plan, the construction of new buildings would serve the communities around the college “to meet the demands of its current and future students, changing population demographics, and the changing labor market.”
With the need for essential workers on the rise, the STEM building has also become essential to the education of healthcare workers. The EFMP shows that the demand for registered nurses is projected to rise.
The job market for nurses would increase by 18% from 2018 to 2028, with the projected number of job openings at 97,414. The annual income for registered nurses would be $94,325.
With COVID-19, the number of those jobs has increased the need for healthcare workers. Due to the pandemic, hospitals welcomed back several retired health care workers.
Amid distance learning, students deemed essential workers like the nursing students returned to campus and hospitals to complete training. This is why the STEM building would not only be the most functional but the most beneficial to both the students and the community.
Physical Therapist Assistants, Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Health Technologists and Technicians, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians and Physical Therapist Assistants also have projected growth in the job market.
Most of the jobs listed within the EFMP with projected openings would be using the STEM building. With the increase in the need for STEM-related degrees to fill the job openings, the new building would attract more students to the school.
The new building would replace the Portable #1 classroom, the Technology Center and the Professional Center. The Life Science building and the Lecture Hall building would also be replaced by the STEM building. The location of the new building would be close to the existing Math/Science Building and Center for Innovation.
The STEM building would have a state-of-the-art laboratory, a modern laboratory and a collaborative space. They are also considering a café.
The EFMP proposal stated that “new café facilities will also be considered in relation to this new building design, to accommodate students, faculty and staff that are primarily located at this eastern-most end of the campus.”
