A community college in southwestern Michigan is expanding its nursing and health education building in an attempt to combat a growing shortage of nurses that seems particularly acute in the area.
The South Bend Tribune reports that Southwestern Michigan College has launched a $9.6 million initiative to more than double the size of the nearly 50-year-old building. Work is expected to begin this summer to update the building with the latest health instruction technology.
The expansion will allow the two-year college to increase its nursing and health education enrollment capacity by about 40 percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 19 percent job growth for registered nurses by 2022, resulting in over 1 million job openings.
The building is expected to open for classes in the fall of 2018.
