WATCH LIVE: CEI celebrates opening of new Future Tech Building

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The College of Eastern Idaho will celebrate the opening of its new Future Tech Building, marking a major expansion of the college's technology and workforce training programs.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting for the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in Partnership with Frontier Credit Union is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Local News 8 will livestream the ribbon-cutting ceremony in this article beginning at 1 p.m.

Gov. Brad Little, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner are among the guests expected to participate in the ceremony.

Local News 8 got an early look inside the new building Wednesday.

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The facility includes hands-on learning spaces for cybersecurity, engineering, agriculture technology, energy systems, robotics and other STEM programs.

In the cybersecurity lab, students will be able to build desktop computers from scratch before using them throughout the program.

The building also includes "Innovation Alley," where students will have access to 3D printers and other tools for projects.

CEI's new agriculture technology program will give students the opportunity to work with technology increasingly used in farming, including robots and drones. The college is also moving its surgical technology program into the building to provide additional space for its growing health care programs.

Many of the programs are designed to give students hands-on experience they can take directly into the workforce. The building will also support CEI's new Associate of Engineering degree, which is designed for students who plan to continue their education at a four-year university.

Local News 8 will have continuing coverage from Thursday's ribbon cutting.