Arkansas State University-Newport is partnering with the Newport Economic Development Commission (NEDC) and the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) on Newport’s Tech Depot IT Apprenticeship Academy. The academy is supported by a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and a $625,000 match from NEDC.
ASU-Newport is finalizing the curriculum, and ACDS is recruiting the first apprentices and businesses.
“We have experience in IT and apprenticeships, and ASU-Newport has experience in technical curriculum development and delivery, and now with this facility we have all the tools for world-class IT training in Newport, Arkansas,” said ACDS Executive Director Bill Yoder.
The new Tech Depot facility will contain apprenticeship training rooms, co-working spaces, an incubator for entrepreneurs, shared office space for companies who use the facility and an apprenticeship testing center.
“ASU-Newport is proud to be part of this great new opportunity for Newport and all of northeast Arkansas,” said ASU-Newport Chancellor Sandra Massey.
Alabama
Bevill State Community College (BSCC) will use a $1.5 million grant to offer expanded, accelerated workforce training programs that provide industry-recognized credentials for in-demand jobs. The grant comes from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC’s) POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative.
The project aligns with area economic development plans and will transform BSCC’s Hamilton Campus into a Workforce Rapid Training Center. Career tech laboratories will undergo renovations so they are more in line with the training needs of the surrounding business and industry.
The ARC grant also will allow for scholarships for individuals who have lost jobs or income related to the coal downturn or who are in recovery from substance abuse programs.
Illinois
Oakton Community College will bolster efforts to support underrepresented populations thanks to a $1.5 million Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) grant from the U.S. Education Department. Oakton is the first community college in Illinois to receive this award.
AANAPISI is one of eight federally designated Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) programs. Oakton’s fall 2020 enrollment consists of nearly 25% AAPI students.
“Illinois has the fifth largest AAPI population in the nation, and we are honored that Oakton has been selected as an AANAPISI institution, recognizing the large breadth of diversity with our student population,” Oakton President Joianne Smith said in a release. “This designation is a recognition of who we are, and is about more than enrollment — it’s about outcomes. This milestone validates our commitment to diversity and aligns with our aspiration to be a leader for inclusive excellence.”
The grant also allows Oakton to establish the Center for Organizing Minority Programs to Advance Student Success (COMPASS). It will focus on improving student success rates through activities designed to increase engagement and help students make informed decisions regarding course and program design. Activities will include culturally relevant academic advising for AAPI students, partnering with local high schools to improve early college persistence and implementing faculty training and development programs. Oakton also will collect data to help it respond to the needs of AAPI subgroups.
Minnesota
South Central College (SCC) and partner Central Community College (CCC) in Nebraska have received a $1.29 million Advanced Technological Education program grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The two colleges will leverage the funding to implement the next phase of the mechatronics distance learning model called iMEC developed by SCC in 2013. This phase will bring mechatronics education to rural high school students through partnerships with area school districts and businesses.
“Our vision is to bring mechatronics not only to students who already know they are interested in automation and robotics, but more importantly to those who may not even know this is a career possibility,” said Doug Laven, the SCC mechatronics instructor who developed iMEC and serves as SCC’s NSF principle investigator for this new grant. “This is going to make a real difference in the lives of these students.”
The grant is centered around a train-the-trainer format that will engage faculty from both SCC and CCC to assist faculty to help deliver course content. Students will remotely take 12 credits while still in high school to earn their iMEC 2.0 certificate. From there, they can enter the workforce or continue toward a mechatronics associate of applied science degree.
Ohio
Cuyahoga Community College’s (Tri-C) Entrepreneurship Academy found an investor: the Burton D. Morgan Foundation awarded a $33,260 grant to expand the academy.
The Entrepreneurship Academy, a joint project between Tri-C and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, is entering its second year of encouraging and developing entrepreneurial thinking among Cleveland high school students. It provides a business education through hands-on experiences, including a college-level project management course and work with local entrepreneurs.
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation also awarded Tri-C a $2,375 grant to support the upcoming Entrepreneur Expo, which will happen virtually.
South Carolina
Trident Technical College (TTC) can better address STEM workforce needs thanks to a $1.9 million U.S. Department of Defense grant. With the funding, the college will implement the Building Outreach Opportunities to Motivate and Inspire the Next Generation in STEM (BOOMING in STEM) initiative.
Working with partners Joint Base Charleston and the Charleston Promise Neighborhood, Trident Tech will use the funding to provide camps and coursework to engage youth in STEM activities and connect them to educational offerings and work experiences. The project will create STEM career pathways for military-connected, rural and disadvantaged K-12 students, primarily focusing on students age seven to 18.
“Creating clear pathways for students to explore STEM options and train for STEM careers will strengthen and expand the regional talent pipeline,” said TTC Vice President for Education Cathy Almquist. “This project will help our region address the need for well-trained, diverse employees in fields such as advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, which are critical Department of Defense priorities.”
Texas
Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) received $30,000 from ExxonMobil to support dually enrolled students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related occupational courses.
The funding will help students from the Beaumont Independent School District enrolled at LIT in computer networking and troubleshooting technology, instrumentation technology and process operating technology programs.
