Barstow Community College officials recently announced the purchase of a former Rite Aid building, with plans to transform the property into a new Career Technical Education Workforce Training Center.
When completed, the former Rite Aid, at the corner of Barstow Road and E. Rimrock Road, will serve as a training hub preparing local residents for high-wage careers, college officials stated.
The former Rite Aid building is located about a half mile north of Barstow College, which is located off Barstow Road.
In 2025, the financially struggling Rite Aid drugstore chain continued sell or close its remaining stores across the country and High Desert, the Daily Press reported.
Increased demand prompts expansion
The need to expand the college’s current CTE Complex was identified through recent program growth and increased demand, college officials said.
When the Rite Aid property became available, the college board recognized it as an extraordinary opportunity, as it offers significantly more space for future growth.
It also allowed the college to “make thoughtful, responsible use of funds already set aside in our capital outlay fund, the college’s long-term savings account for buildings and facilities,” college officials said.
Community investment
“This purchase represents exactly the kind of forward-thinking investment our community deserves,” said Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, the president of the Barstow Community College District Board of Trustees. “The Board of Trustees has been deliberate and disciplined in building the financial foundation to make this possible.”
Hackbarth-McIntyre added that the college is delivering more training capacity, more career pathways, and more economic opportunity for the people of Barstow, and at a cost that reflects the school’s commitment to responsible stewardship of public funds.
The new facility will house five hands-on Career Technical Education labs with capacity for up to 25 learners per lab, enabling hundreds of residents to train each year.
Programs will cover in-demand skills such as industrial robotics, automation, cybersecurity, unmanned systems, and advanced manufacturing, with many roles requiring training that can be completed in as little as six to 12 months. Wages in these fields range from $23 to over $60 per hour, the college stated.
New projects require more workers
The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the High Desert region as the massive BNSF Barstow International Gateway project is projected to generate up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs over time.
The BNSF project was approved by city leaders in June, according to the Daily Press.
“Expanding defense technology operations at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and Fort Irwin are creating new demand for skilled workers in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, and industrial maintenance,” college officials stated.
Additionally, new clean energy investments across the North High Desert are adding further to the region’s workforce needs.
“For years, we have talked about preparing our community for the economic transformation coming to Barstow. That transformation is no longer on the horizon, it is here,” Superintendent Eva Bagg said. “The people of Barstow deserve a facility dedicated to preparing them for the high-wage jobs arriving in our region and this investment delivers exactly that.”
The college is actively pursuing state and federal funding to support facility renovation and program launch.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow college to transform Rite Aid store into job training site
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
