A scholarship at New Jersey’s Brookdale Community College got a boost recently. The Little Silver Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 donated $16,326 to the Brookdale Community College Foundation T. J. Bruno Memorial Scholarship for students with disabilities.
Tony and Claudia Bruno and family friends Eleanor and Roger Dolan formed the scholarship in memory of their son, who died in 1999 at age 34.
“We are so grateful for Little Silver Fire Company’s generosity that ensures scholarships for students with disabilities are available while honoring the memory of a remarkable man, Anthony ‘TJ’ Bruno,” said Nancy Kaari, vice president of advancement at the college.
The Little Silver Volunteer Fire Company Memorial Golf Outing to benefit the TJ Bruno Scholarship Fund and the Chrissy D. Shaheen Memorial Foundation provide the funds for the scholarship.
Arizona
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced this month a $7.5 million investment to expand the Arizona Western College (AWC) Law Enforcement Training Academy in Yuma.
The state is allocating money from CARES Act funds to Yuma County to cover public safety payroll costs, allowing for the expansion of the training academy. Currently, the academy trains more than 60 cadets a year and works with 15 agencies across the region.
“Arizona Western College is appreciative of Governor Ducey’s support for rural law enforcement agencies,” said AWC President Daniel Corr. “This funding will allow AWC to construct a regional training facility serving local law enforcement agencies across rural Arizona.”
Colorado
Community College of Denver (CCD) received a $440,773 grant from the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. The grant is part of a $2.1 million green workforce development initiative to provide access to quality green jobs with livable wages and benefits from employers.
CCD will provide outreach, education, upskilling/reskilling, on-the-job training and more. The college will partner with construction workforce development coalition WORKNOW to help new job seekers and incumbent workers build skills and competitiveness in the workforce and expand existing pathways in skilled trades and professional services to include green building technologies.
“This partnership will allow CCD and our WORKNOW partners to educate and train priority populations into high-demand green energy career pathways over the course of three years,” said Katrina Wert, executive director of workforce and community partnerships. “The goal of this program is to create career connections and employment success for people from under-resourced communities and CCD is honored to be chosen to be part of this exciting project.”
Illinois
A $6 million grant from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) will support workforce equity efforts and adult education programs at City Colleges of Chicago (CCC).
CCC’s Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) programs provide eligible Chicagoans access to short-term programs at no cost. A major portion of the ICCB grant ($5.7 million) will support WEI programs Daley, Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, Olive-Harvey and Wright colleges.
The remainder of the grant funds will support adult education bridge and transition programs. Through CCC’s Career Bridge programs, students can improve their reading, writing, math and English skills while earning an industry certificate that can lead to an in-demand career.
Massachusetts
MassBay Community College will receive a $101,333 from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education for the Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant program. MassBay will use the funds to subsidize all costs for 40 students over three semesters to attend its certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
This grant covers tuition and fees, textbooks, uniforms, certification fees and other required class materials, which would typically cost approximately $1,400.
“Certified nursing assistants are in great demand, with local employers reaching out to MassBay every week to hire our students after they have completed our program. Employers are well aware MassBay-trained CNAs have the knowledge and compassion to provide excellent care,” said Phara Boyer, MassBay’s director of corporate partnership and workforce development.
Nebraska
Northeast Community College (NECC) will use a $450,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen information technology and cybersecurity skills for students entering the agricultural workforce.
“This funding is important to help increase the efficiency and productivity of food production, as well as to guard against cyberattacks targeting our nation’s food supply. We are proud to partner with agricultural cooperatives across Nebraska to grow their IT workforce and create pathways for entry-level workers as well as incumbent workers to upskill and get the critical skills they need to support our agricultural system,” said President Leah Barrett.
The grant announcement came from Sen. Deb Fischer.
“This grant is an exciting federal investment that will connect Nebraska’s future ag and tech workforce with skills to succeed,” Fischer said in a release. “I have had the pleasure of working closely with NECC over the years on increasing adoption of precision agriculture technologies. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition and create opportunities for our students.”
Pennsylvania
With a $1.1 million grant, Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) will open a wellness center at its Pottstown Campus and continue its Partnership on Work Enrichment and Readiness (POWER) program. The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant is from Montgomery County.
The majority of the grant ($1 million) will support the new center, which will offer comprehensive assistance for individual needs, expanding some of MCCC’s existing programs and adding new support services.
“There will be an educational space to provide wellness programming to students and staff/faculty, and meeting space where students can get help for their non-academic needs from a resource coach and connect with peers,” said Nichole Kang, wellness center director. “We’ll also have private space for in-person mental health therapy provided by partner organizations, which will be available to both students and community members.”
The remainder of the grant will support MCCC’s POWER Program. The free program helps individuals in mental health and addiction recovery develop and reach their educational and career goals through a two-credit college course that focuses on college and career preparation skills. Since the POWER Program started in 2006, it has served nearly 600 students.
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Northampton Community College (NCC) will implement a Pathways to Manufacturing program using a grant of nearly $200,000 from the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program.
Pathways to Manufacturing will be a seven-week, 150-hour program that will introduce manufacturing occupations to low-income individuals, individuals who are basic skills deficient, veterans and out-of-school youth who are unsure of their post-graduation plans or have had to change those plans due to the pandemic.
The program will serve 40 students.
“The commonwealth recognizes the need for strong, entry-level talent in the manufacturing industry,” said Gov. Tom Wolf, who made the grant announcement this month. “Northampton Community College’s Pathways to Manufacturing program will get well-trained candidates out in the workforce quickly. My administration is pleased to support this program that will pair good, steady jobs with those who need them.”
West Virginia
Pierpont Community & Technical College will use a $150,000 grant to establish a new workforce program for students with intellectual disabilities.
The Pierpont Rapid Intellectual Disabilities Education (PRIDE) program is modeled after a successful vocational advancement and skill training program currently offered through Houston Community College in Texas. The program will allow Pierpont to provide postsecondary transition programming and comprehensive support services to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Students in Pierpont’s 13-county service region who are ages 18 to 25 are eligible for the program.
The grant come from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
