New England Tech Announces $40 Million Innovation Center to Expand Access to Skilled Trades Education

The major investment strengthens NEIT’s long-standing leadership in trades education and its commitment to supporting the region’s economic growth.

EAST GREENWICH, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) today announced plans to construct a new Innovation Center for Building Sciences, a major campus expansion designed to meet the growing regional and national demand for highly trained skilled trades professionals.

Demand for trained professionals in construction, electrical, plumbing, and building engineering technologies continues to outpace supply. The Innovation Center will expand NEIT’s capacity to prepare job-ready graduates in these critical fields, ensuring employers have access to the skilled talent needed to build, maintain, and modernize essential systems.

The project represents an investment of approximately $40 million in a new 53,000-square-foot facility to be built on NEIT’s East Greenwich campus. Groundbreaking is expected in Spring 2026, with construction expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Designed to support hands-on learning, the center will feature modern labs, industry equipment, and flexible learning spaces that mirror real-world job sites.

“Across the country, there is growing recognition of how vital the skilled trades are to our communities – something New England Tech has embraced for more than 80 years,” said Amy Grzybowski, Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Relations. “Our Innovation Center will expand opportunity for the next generation of skilled trade students while ensuring our region has the workforce needed to meet the labor demand.”

Once completed, the Innovation Center will expand NEIT’s total skilled trades training capacity to serve approximately 1,000 students annually from across the country.

Programs housed within the center will include building construction, electrical technology, plumbing, architectural building engineering technology, interior design, and construction management, with degree pathways offered at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Students will benefit from hands-on training, state-of-the-art technology labs, accelerated degree options, and strong career earning potential upon graduation.

“New England Tech launched my career in the skilled trades and set me on a path to build my company into Rhode Island’s largest electrical contractor,” said Vin Rossi, President of Rossi Electric. “The new Innovation Center will ensure more students gain the same life-changing opportunities, while helping Rhode Island lead the nation in skilled trades education.”

The Innovation Center for Building Sciences, alongside NEIT’s recent skilled-trade tuition reductions and expanding employer partnerships, underscores the university’s continued leadership in elevating the trades as essential, future-focused careers.

NEIT serves as Rhode Island’s only designated Opportunity College by the Carnegie Foundation, which recognizes institutions that deliver the strongest economic return on educational investment.

NEIT has engaged Neil Steinberg, former CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation and Fleet Bank, as an advisor to support philanthropic development for the project and expanded scholarship opportunities. The project will be funded through institutional resources and philanthropic support, requiring no state funding, while strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline in high-demand trades.

About New England Tech:

New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) is a private, non-profit institution located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, the university offers accelerated associate, bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in fields including skilled trades, automotive & marine technology, health sciences, cybersecurity, computer science, and engineering technology, with 95% of graduates employed in their field of study shortly after graduation. With a strong focus on experiential learning, NEIT prepares students by combining hands-on training with small class sizes and individualized support, so graduates enter the workforce faster and excel in their chosen careers.

Contacts

Media Contact: 
Sarah Byrne

New England Institute of Technology

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401-780-4176