KALAMAZOO, MI ― Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) opens its doors to the new Career Connect Campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The new Career Connect Campus is a learning environment designed to empower students for high-demand, well-paying careers. The building is a culmination of community, educator, and student investment over the last six years.

By integrating classroom learning with real-world experience, KRESA’s Career Connect programs provide students with a head start toward career success. Local businesses also benefit by tapping into a pipeline of skilled, job-ready graduates. The building supports career tracks in high-demand fields like agriculture, food, and natural resources, architecture and construction trades, culinary arts, design, health science, human services, IT, manufacturing, and transportation, distribution, and logistics.

“Kalamazoo County is on the brink of a new era," said Matt Brehmer, DLR Group Principal and Architect. "This world-class facility will spur growth in the local economy, provide game-changing opportunities for students, and set the new precedent in CTE design nationwide."

DLR Group and Wightman teamed up to bring the vision for the new Career Connect Campus to life. The 162,000-square-foot future-ready facility reflects KRESA students' and staff’s vision for a sustainable building. For structural support, a hybrid of steel and mass timber introduces alternative materials that can reduce carbon footprint. Through design, the building’s inner workings are put on display. Mechanical systems are intentionally exposed to showcase the viability and workability of these integrated systems. Information technology labs feature exposed server racks viewable from the commons to help students grasp the tech guts of a building and to see how conduit connects technology from one side of the facility to the other.

"The Kalamazoo RESA Career Connect Center represents a transformative investment in our students and our community," said George Kacan, Wightman’s Education Sector Leader. "By celebrating hands-on learning and expanding access to high-wage, high-demand careers, we’re helping young people discover their strengths, pursue their passions, and shape a future that reflects the full range of their potential."