Area high school students will soon have the opportunity to jump-start their education in a new state-of-the-art facility planned for Ames.

The Ames City Council unanimously approved plans for a $4.8 million Des Moines Area Community College Career Academy at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and Interstate 35 at its meeting Jan. 11.

The estimated 30,000 square foot vocational education facility will accommodate approximately 300 students from Ames, Ballard, Collins-Maxwell, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Nevada and Roland-Story high schools.

The City Council agreed that the location would be accessible for students traveling from other areas in the county.

The facility, which is being built by Story Construction Co., will open in about a year, said Donavan Honnold, director of marketing and public relations for DMACC.

Seven Story County high schools played an important role in advocating the facility. They began discussing a common building a couple of years ago after offering career trades in the high schools for several years.

Rob Denson, president of DMACC, picked up on the idea and moved it forward, said Councilman Steve Goodhue.

The career academy will offer several vocational programs, including construction trades, health careers, information technology, manufacturing and automotive technology.

There are also plans to house continuing education programs currently offered at Ames High School and other satellite learning locations, as well as company-specific training to businesses.

“The goal is to expand college level instruction to people in Story County at DMACC tuition prices,” Honnold said.

Students who attend the DMACC career academy will be able to earn college credit and gain career skills while still in high school.

“This program gives many students the opportunity to be successful and allows for seamless education from high school to college,” Goodhue said.

“Hopefully the students will stick around Ames after graduation and become construction engineers and nurses.”

The $400,000 building site was donated by the Hunziker family of Ames.

Jon Hunziker, owner of Jon Hunziker Construction Inc., became involved with vocational programs in Story County high schools in 1997 and has been instrumental in raising approximately $1 million in private donations for the project. He said a plan for a building was a logical step.

“This will be a good facility for student training and work experience,” Hunziker said.

“Existing businesses are seeing it as a location to look to for workers.”

Hunziker said DMACC officials are taking input from local businesses and responding to what they want.

“This is a concept unlike any other in the state,” Goodhue said. “The consolidation of vocational education will offer educational efficiency and a great source of labor for the community and the local work force.”

Goodhue said he thinks the building will have a positive impact on Iowa State.

“This facility will allow a smooth transition for kids from high school, to DMACC, to Iowa State,” Goodhue said.

“It will help retain youth here in Story County.”