ELKHART, Ind. - Elkhart school representatives and donors attended a groundbreaking event for a new Engineering, Technology, and Innovation School of Study building on Thursday.

This 45,000 square foot building, located between the Elkhart Area Career Center and Elkhart Memorial High School, will be one of six schools of study which will be featured when Elkhart Memorial and Elkhart Central high schools combine into Elkhart High School in 2021.

During the day, the building will give high school students hands-on opportunities to learn in real world situations in labs and classrooms with a goal to have the students trained and ready for real world jobs after graduation.

Steve Thalheimer, the Superintendent of Elkhart Schools, said, “The ability to use those tools that they’ll encounter when they go out into the workforce in addition to certificates, dual credit, certifications they would receive while they’re in school will make them immediately ready to go right into the workforce and make a living right after high school.”

In the evenings, it will continue to be a center for learning, teaching adults in the workforce more advanced skills and best practices.

Welding, robotics, engineering, and data analytics will be among the skills taught in this new facility.

The $14 million project was funded by various community partners including Charlotte Mittler, the University of Notre Dame, and the Community Foundation of Elkhart County.