During a visit to Austin Community College (ACC) last week, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) announced $1.5 million in congressional funding he secured directly to support semiconductor training at ACC.
The federal funds will help ACC’s advanced manufacturing department acquire new semiconductor subsystems to expand training programs and develop new ones based on industry demands. The college will also use the funding for needed facility upgrades.
“We are building capacity that is (a) vital national security application. It will put food on the table for Central Texas families and provide the opportunity for one family after another here because of getting a great ACC education,” Doggett said.
CDL grants
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $3.5 million for commercial driver’s license (CDL) training across the country.
Twenty-six community colleges (and one business) will receive grants, ranging from $101,000 to $139,980.
DOT’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant program aims to expand the number of CDL holders with enhanced operator safety training, and to provide opportunities for current or former service members and their spouses to enter trucking or busing and help increase training opportunities for people from underserved communities.
Nebraska
Southeast Community College (SCC) is receiving a $250,000 gift from a local psychiatrist, who is making the donation in honor of her late mother, a former SCC student.
The gift from Dr. Lori Anderson also includes $20,000 for scholarships. In return for the gift, the college will name a floor of its Lincoln Campus Health Sciences Center in honor of her mother, Flo Anderson.
“Her mom was 67 when she came here and took the practical nursing program at Southeast Community College. She then proceeded to come back when she was 94 … and she took tap dancing classes,” Michelle Birkel, executive director of the college’s foundation, said in News Channel Nebraska. “She (Dr. Anderson) wants to do something wonderful for her mom. So, it started out with a scholarship, she’s going to do a $1,500 scholarship per year…and she wanted to honor her because she took the practical nursing program and then she also had an interest in physical therapy.”
NEH funding
Two community colleges are among the recipients of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants to support humanities education, research, preservation and public programs.
Northwestern Michigan College will receive a $10,000 NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to improve lighting at its Dennos Museum Center. The project includes installing 1,450 square feet of window tint film to reduce light levels in the museum’s promenade wing and gallery spaces.
The museum, which is a Smithsonian Affiliate, opened in 1991 and is a premier cultural facility in northern Michigan, offering an array of exhibitions and programs in the visual arts, sciences and performing arts.
An NEH grant also was awarded to Elke Sabella, a researcher from Kingsborough Community College and the CUNY Research Foundation. Sabella will use a $60,000 NEH Public Scholars Grant to write a book based on oral histories of the children of Ku Klux Klan members and other Southern white supremacist groups.
North Carolina
In a move that will bolster the technological capabilities of Central Carolina Community College (CCCC), Jerry Pedley and Mertek Inc. have donated a FANUC robotic arm to the college.
The equipment, known for its sophisticated advanced controller and intelligence, handles a range of versatile applications, making it an invaluable asset for industrial training CCCC students.
“We need robotic skills and every manufacturer in this area can use this skill set. Robots continue to create more jobs needing skilled workers, at higher than average pay rates,” said Pedley, who is president of Mertek.
The donation materialized when Pedley, who no longer needed the robotic arm, saw an opportunity to benefit the college. He offered the equipment to enhance the college’s training capabilities.
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Johnston Community College (JCC) will use a $900,000 state grant to support the launch and expansion of two high-demand healthcare workforce programs.
The first cohort of students in the new surgical technology and central sterile processing technology programs is expected to begin coursework in January 2025, with full accreditation anticipated by the end of that year. The expanded nurse aide program will increase its course offerings starting in February 2025.
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Martin Community College received a $395,000 grant from the North Carolina Community College System for its physical therapy assistant (PTA) program.
With the grant, the college will create a Wellness Therapy Center for its pro-bono clinic as well as for students, faculty and staff, according to a release. It also will build an outdoor walking track for post-injury recovery activities that will be accessible to the public.
The funding comes through a state allocation to support healthcare workforce programs at community colleges.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) last week awarded more than $33 million to 12 community colleges to assist with funding short-term and long-term debt service projects, capital leases and cash capital projects approved by the Commonwealth.
Funding will help colleges tackle major repairs and renovations to facilities, ADA compliance projects and more.
“Investments like this, combined with a focus on access and affordability, will have a real impact on learners both today and in the years to come,” said state Secretary of Education Khalid N. Mumin.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has announced the latest round of Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grants. Nearly $41 million will fund 23 projects throughout the state – including many at community colleges.
The GIVE program is designed to address skills gaps in Tennessee’s workforce by supporting the development of career pathways that connect secondary education, postsecondary institutions and local employers. Grants of up to $2 million are awarded to collaborative efforts that create or expand academic programs, develop work-based learning experiences, or provide industry-recognized certifications in areas of high demand.
Among the grantees is Pellissippi State Community College, which will receive nearly $2 million for a program to advance aviation maintenance technology. Southwest Tennessee Community College is receiving $1.5 million for an entertainment production collaborative project. And Roane State Community College’s project, funded with a $450,000 grant, involves leveraging workforce partnerships to create pathways for nuclear technology.
