PETOSKEY — North Central Michigan College is set to begin the first phase of its Career and Technical Education Enhancement (CATEE) project next week on its Petoskey campus.

The CATEE $20 million initiative is designed to redefine health care, manufacturing and skilled trades education at the college. Work will begin on June 17 at the Health Education and Science Center.

“CATEE is a groundbreaking investment aimed at revolutionizing education in health care, manufacturing and skilled trades — three dynamic sectors that are the backbone of our regional, state and national economies,” said North Central President David Roland Finley in a press release. “Data from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget tells us that nearly all the high-demand, high-wage careers available to associate degree-holders are in these critical fields.”

Work at the Health Education and Science Center will include a 7,200-square-foot addition. The addition will provide advanced classroom, clinical, simulation and lab spaces.

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The second phase of the CATEE project is set to begin in early 2025 with the demolition of the college’s 59-year-old Technology Building. The site will then become the home of an expanded, state-of-the-art Technology Center. The center will house programs related to robotics, engineering, welding and computer-aided drafting and design.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed by fall of 2026.

Cornerstone Architects is providing design and architectural services, while Lansing-based Clark Construction Company will oversee the construction.

Fundraising efforts continue to help finance the project.

“Fundraising is actively underway to support this transformative initiative, and we invite others to join us in creating more opportunities for local learners,” said Chelsea Platte, vice president for Advancement and executive director of the NCMC Foundation, in a press release. “Community support is key to fueling futures and transforming lives.”

For more information, visit ncmich.edu/about-us/our-campus/CATEE.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.  

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: NCMC to begin renovation project as part of $20 million initiative