Northwest Iowa Community College has purchased a building in Marcus that will become the future Marcus Regional Center and Career Academy, expanding career training opportunities for students across rural Northwest Iowa.
The college recently acquired the former Hometown Guesthouse hotel along Highway 3. The facility will be renovated and converted into an educational hub designed to serve high school students and workforce training needs across the region.
NCC President Dr. John Hartog says the project began with a grant proposal submitted several years ago through the state’s Career Academy Incentive Fund.
The center will focus primarily on concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school juniors and seniors. Students from several districts, including Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn-Remsen Union, South O’Brien, Kingsley-Pierson, and River Valley, will be able to take courses that count toward both their high school diploma and college credit.
Hartog says the facility will offer four primary career pathways.
Programs planned for the center include education, welding, healthcare, and design technology. Students may also have opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials such as Certified Nursing Assistant, OSHA-10 safety training, CPR, and First Aid certifications.
Hartog says bringing those opportunities closer to rural communities will help students access career pathways that might otherwise require long commutes.
Under Iowa’s concurrent enrollment system, many students are able to earn those credits without their families paying tuition.
Planning and renovations for the facility will continue over the next several years. NCC is currently targeting a Fall 2027 opening for the Marcus Regional Center.
Hartog says the project is intended to serve both students and employers across the region.
