Ranken Technical College could open a satellite campus in Wentzville as early as January 2012, said Stan Shoun, the college's president.

"Anything's possible," Shoun said Monday. "We've talked about opening next summer, but sooner is better."

Shoun said he thought January is an achievable target if the school could finalize a mutually beneficial agreement with city officials. Shoun said Ranken is not asking Wentzville for tax incentives; as a nonprofit institution, the school does not pay taxes.

Ranken is considering creating a satellite facility on the CenturyLink campus at 1151 CenturyLink Drive, on the northeast corner of Interstate 70 and Highway 40-61 in Wentzville.

Shoun said the region's "tremendous industry base" and rapid growth make the location attractive. Wentzville's General Motors assembly plant is nearby, employing 1,300 workers. GM is considering expanding the plant and adding a second shift of workers by 2014.

"The GM plant is a great thing, but it is gravy," Shoun said. "Even without that, the county has a tremendous industry base."

Shoun said 90 percent of all jobs come from mom and pop shops with fewer than 50 employees.

Ranken would draw students from a 30-mile radius, an area that includes 600,000 people, he said.

Ranken Technical College currently has one campus, which is at 4431 Finney Ave., just north of St. Louis' Central West End. The school offers technical training in automotive, construction, electrical, information technology and machining. As an accredited college, it offers two-year associate's degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees.

Shoun said Wentzville officials approached Ranken earlier this year, trying to interest the college in occupying the CenturyLink site. On Sept. 15, city officials hosted a luncheon presentation by Shoun at CenturyLink, where Shoun discussed the need for more technical education.

Shoun said 90 percent of all jobs in the future would require education beyond high school, but only 26 percent of the population has four-year degrees. Shoun said 75 percent of the economy is based on blue-collar workers.

"That is the education we need to be giving our students," he said. "We are a school aimed at building the blue-collar worker, which is the backbone of this nation."

Alderman Chris Gard, Ward 2, was one of the first Wentzville officials to approach Ranken. Earlier this summer, Gard asked that the city include in its economic development plan the goal of bringing a higher education institution to Wentzville.

"What we want to do in Wentzville is build companies, and to do that you need blue-collar and white-collar workers," Gard said Tuesday. "There are a glut of four-year, liberal arts graduates. I'm one of them. What we are missing are the types of students who graduate from technical colleges. We have more tech-related jobs out there than we can fill."

Alderman Rick Stokes, Ward, 3, said Wentzville has "rolled out the red carpet" for Ranken, trying to help the college find a suitable location.

"Their interest in a location is tied to industries that need their graduates," Stokes said. "We have an advantage — a large industrial area with the GM plant and other businesses. They are looking for skilled labor. Ranken is looking to fill that demand."

Mayor Paul Lambi said Wentzville's vision is to create an "educational mall" at the 39-acre CenturyLink campus, which has 100,000 square feet of office space available. The facility has the capacity to handle 4,000-5,000 students, Lambi said. The site has a vacant building formerly occupied by Verizon Wireless.

Lambi said the city is seeking educational institutions like Ranken to occupy that space, leasing it from CenturyLink. An accredited vocational institution like Ranken would become the anchor for the educational mall, he said. The city also is talking to Linn State Technical College, he said.

Lambi said the city is not trying to directly compete with Lindenwood University or St. Charles Community College.

"We are trying to bring those degrees and vocational strategies that are not available at those colleges," he said.

Lambi said the city is participating in an assessment study with St. Louis University to determine employer needs in St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and Montgomery counties. The study will compare the required skills and knowledge with the degree offerings at local educational institutions.