College education and technical and vocational training will soon have a new home in Hutto as construction on the East Williamson County Higher Education Center is set to finish July 11.

EWCHEC is a collaboration between Temple College and Texas State Technical College to offer vocational, technical and other educational opportunities to meet demands in today's workforce. The campus includes traditional classrooms, computer and welding labs and commercial-grade kitchens. Associate degrees and certifications will be offered in areas including electrical; heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC; welding; culinary arts; automotive mechanics; plumbing; criminal justice; and computer programing.

"Not all of our students are going to choose to go to college. Some of them are going to chose to go out and work in [technical areas]," said Daniel Spencer, EWCHEC's associate vice president for academic outreach and extension programs. "If we can provide those opportunities from an educational standpoint, mixed in with opportunities to come in and get their trade skills and come back to finish their associates or bachelor's [degrees], there [are] a lot of opportunities ... to fill the gaps in our economy and workforce."

The center will also offer classes through Temple College in core subjects including writing, math, science, humanities, music, drama, economics, speech, Spanish, sociology, history and political science.

The center's site, on CR 108 near SH 130, was chosen because of its close access to the toll road. Developers also highlighted Hutto's growth and influx of employment, cultural, recreational, medical and educational opportunities, as well as its proximity cities such as Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown.

The 56-acre plot allows EWCHEC the possibility of future expansion, as the center is already working to partner with other institutions such as Concordia University, Tarleton State University–Central Texas and Texas Tech University and could expand the campus offerings. The center has an existing site in Taylor, which already partners with the universities, and the Hutto location is hoping to add Texas A&M University–Central Texas as well.

"[We want to] offer higher degrees and look at possibly going into the areas of engineering and computers, and really complement what the workforce and regional employment needs are for the area," Spencer said.

The center also plans to partner with the city of Hutto, Hutto ISD and the Hutto Economic Development Corp.

Currently the campus has one three-story building that includes classrooms that can fit 40 students each, labs, a

cafe and bookstore, study areas and rooms that can be used for community events. The center's staff hopes allowing community access fosters ownership among residents.

"EWCHEC will not only be a source of college education through courses offered by Texas State Technical College and Temple College but also is a resource for the Hutto community," said Irene Cravey, EWCHEC's vice president of student learning. "A number of the classrooms are designed to be able to accommodate group meetings and community events. Several of the technology programs will be offering weekend training. The Hutto community has invested in EWCHEC, and in turn EWCHEC is designed to support the community."

Registration has already started, and an education fair will be held at noon July 27 to offer registration opportunities and more information about the center for prospective students. EWCHEC expects to offer at least 160 core sections and enroll approximately 25 students per class each year, Spencer said. The center will hold its first day of school Aug. 26.