SCCC opens expanded Optics Technology Center
Newton. College officials and industry partners marked the opening of a $1.15 million expansion designed to prepare students for careers in optics manufacturing and advanced technology.
Newton /
| 27 Mar 2026 | 11:30
James Santonastaso, Member, SCCC Board of Trustees; Jack Stafford, Supervisor of Optics Technology; Herb Yardley, Chair, SCCC Board of Trustees; Jason Fruge, Dean of Technical Occupations; Dr. Elizabeth Silverthorne, Vice Chair, SCCC Board of Trustees; Jack DeGroot, Deputy Director, Sussex County Commissioners; and Dr. Cory Homer, President, SCCC. (
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Sussex County Community College celebrated the ribbon cutting of its expanded Optics Technology Center, unveiling a new facility designed to strengthen workforce development and support training in advanced manufacturing.
The 2,500-square-foot expansion, completed at a cost of $1.15 million, increases the college’s capacity to train students for careers in optics using industry-standard equipment and advanced technology.
College President Dr. Cory Homer opened the ceremony, joined by Jack DeGroot, deputy director of the Sussex County commissioners; Herb Yardley, chair of the college’s board of trustees; Jason Fruge, dean of technical occupations; Jack Stafford, supervisor of optics technology; and Jamie LaCouture of Thorlabs.
Homer said partnerships with manufacturers were essential to the project’s development.
“The role of the community college is to provide opportunities for our private partners while creating pathways for our students,” Homer said. “This program is truly unique, with our industry partners helping to shape the curriculum and guide what we teach.”
Fruge said the expanded center will give students greater access to the tools and environment needed for careers in optics and advanced manufacturing.
“This building reflects a shared commitment to innovation, workforce development, and access to the technology needed for success,” Fruge said.
LaCouture said the program also addresses broader workforce shortages in the optics field.
“With hundreds of optics technician jobs left vacant each year, we are forced to compromise the working and innovation time of engineers and in some cases our own manufacturing,” she said. “This program ensures that we can strengthen manufacturing and provide our students with meaningful and rewarding jobs.”
Officials said the enhanced center will continue to provide hands-on instruction while expanding the college’s ability to meet industry demand.
The event concluded with a formal ribbon cutting and guided tours of the new facility.
