Together the new learning programs will eventually impact thousands of local teenage and adult career education students.
The new schools and programs opening in the first quarter of 2026, represent millions of dollars of taxpayer monies, private industry investments along with county, state and federal grant funding all designed to open new career learning doors for local high school and college students as well as adults seeking to learn new skills for booming industries in southwest Ohio.
“These projects are about more than new buildings — they are about creating real pathways for students to earn credentials, college credit and hands-on experience while meeting critical workforce needs in healthcare, aviation, and advanced manufacturing,” Butler Tech Superintendent William Sprankles recently told the Journal-News.
Three major capital projects, said Sprankles, will expand access to “high-demand career pathways while strengthening the regional workforce pipeline.”
The Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) in Hamilton in the former Vora Technology Park building, the new Aviation Education Center at Middletown Regional Airport and the Bioscience Center expansion in West Chester Twp. all “reflect a long-term investment in rigorous academics paired with hands-on, real-world learning experiences directly connected to industry, certifications, and postsecondary opportunities,” he said.
In February, Butler Tech and its partners will unveil major portions of the new learning Hub and its $31 million collaboration designed to connect education and industry in a way that mirrors modern manufacturing environments, said school officials.
According to officials, the AM Hub will prepare the next generation of engineers, innovators, and problem solvers through real-world training, academic rigor, and hands-on experience.
Beginning in 10th grade, students in Butler Tech’s 3-Year Engineering Program will engage in engineering, robotics, automation, and manufacturing systems while earning industry-recognized credentials, personalized capstone experience, and college credit through Butler Tech and Miami University.
Located in Hamilton, the AM Hub will redevelop the former Vora Technology Park into a 300,000-square-foot center for innovation and workforce development, with the first 70,000 square feet featuring specialized labs, high-bay manufacturing spaces, and industry-grade equipment. More than 30 business partners are already involved, helping shape training aligned to real workforce needs, said officials.
Then in March, next to an airstrip at Middletown Regional Airport, Butler Tech is scheduled to open its $15 million its first, free-standing Aviation Education Center for high school students from the career schools’ 11 local school districts it serves.
The 28,000-square-foot facility was designed specifically for aviation training and includes state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and dedicated hangar space for hands-on aircraft work. Students begin the pathway in 10th grade and combine academic coursework with immersive aviation labs and industry experience.
According to Butler Tech officials, the program prepares students for FAA-recognized certifications, including Private Pilot, Remote Pilot (Part 107), and Airframe & Powerplant, while also offering college credit opportunities and personalized capstone projects connected to workforce partners.
The Aviation Center represents a regional workforce development hub made possible through public-private partnerships with Butler County, the City of Middletown, JobsOhio, and industry partners including Magellan Aerospace, StandardAero, CTL Aerospace, and Middletown Regional Airport FBO.
And then in April, officials will open the newest wing of the new, $12.7 million expansion of the Butler Tech Bioscience Center that will nearly double the size of the existing facility.
Officials said the expansion adds advanced laboratories, classrooms, and collaborative learning spaces designed to support growing enrollment in healthcare and bioscience pathways.
The expansion, they said, will strengthen employment pipelines into healthcare careers, industry certifications, and post-secondary education, responding directly to workforce demand across Southwest Ohio while providing students with hands-on, real-world learning experiences.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Hub, the Aviation Center, and the expansion of our Bioscience Center represent a generational investment in our students and in the future of our region,” said Sprankles.
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