Delaware Tech is opening a new location in Middletown.
It’s the latest addition to the statewide public community college—halfway between its Dover and Wilmington campuses.
The new space is 7,000 square feet in the back of the former Delaware National Guard Armory on North Cass Street. Del Tech is leasing the site from the town of Middletown for a nominal fee and has been renovating the space for the past year.
The new center will offer diesel mechanic training, heavy equipment operation and construction management classes.
Del Tech President Dr. Mark Brainard touts the new labs as state of the art. Construction students have access to workplace simulators and the diesel lab has an engine for diagnostic practice.
“There’s an $80,000 diesel engine in the middle of the lab that can be programmed to have different types of failures built into it,” said Brainard. “So students are in there troubleshooting; they’re in there experiencing what happens out in the workplace.”
Brainard says the location will soon also include simulator training for snow plow operators and law enforcement.
He adds the move was made possible by Delaware's Higher Education Investment Fund approved by Gov. John Carney.
“This facility opened at a time when we were really struggling to invest in our buildings and facilities,” he said.
Brainard says the town is planning to move its offices out of the front of the building so the college can occupy the entire site and offer more classes.