Wallace Community College-Dothan (WCCD) has received more than $2.7 million from the Alabama Community College System as part of the Alabama Centers for Rural Healthcare Opportunity legislative appropriation.
The grant will fund “Neighbors in Health: Rural Healthcare Training Close to Home,” an initiative designed to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce, expand training opportunities in southeast Alabama and support students from rural communities pursuing healthcare careers.
“Neighbors in Health will allow us to grow our own healthcare professionals right here at home, while ensuring rural communities receive the care and attention they deserve,” said WCCD President Kathy L. Murphy.
The community-based initiative is a collaborative effort among WCCD, multiple healthcare providers, high schools, clinical facilities, local governments and regional workforce and economic development organizations.
Students will move from early career exploration to completion of degree and certificate programs in medical laboratory technology, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy and surgical technology. They’ll have opportunities to participate in job shadow experiences and gain real-world experience by completing practicums and clinicals at rural facilities.
As part of the initiative, WCCD will expand allied health short certificate offerings and establish an associate in applied science degree in medical laboratory technology.
Kentucky
Owensboro Community & Technical College’s (OCTC) Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music program got a boost with a $20,000 gift from the Bluegrass Music Initiative. The funding supports a new recording studio that will provide a dedicated space for learning and creativity.
Investments in the new program mean OCTC “will soon provide our students and the next generation of bluegrass music industry professionals with a world-class facility – a place where they can learn, develop their talents, and prepare for successful careers in this vibrant musical tradition,” said Program Coordinator Scott Napier.
Massachusetts
Holyoke Community College (HCC) has received a $300,000 state grant to train low-income job seekers whose primary barrier to employment is their English language skills.
The Readiness, Integration, Skills and Employment (RISE) grant to HCC is part of a $2.7 million package awarded recently to eight employers and organizations for English for speakers of other languages initiatives that also include career readiness, job training and placement services.
The RISE grants come from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by the Commonwealth Corporation through the state’s Workforce Competitive Trust Fund. HCC was one of only two grant recipients outside the Boston area. Greenfield Community College received a $195,000 grant to train home health aides.
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With a $500,000 state grant, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will provide 120 unemployed or underemployed workers with skills for jobs in information technology and cybersecurity.
As part of the grant, participating students will connect with local employers. English-as-a-second-language training also will be offered for those who need it.
STCC’s grant is part of $7.4 million in Sen. Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants awarded to organizations across Massachusetts.
Michigan
Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) has received a $1.18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The award, under the Head Start Tribal Colleges and Universities Partnership Grant, will expand BMCC’s capacity to support teachers and staff at tribal Head Start programs in earning their required early childhood education credentials.
Known as the HOPE program, the grant project aims to remove barriers to higher education for tribal Head Start employees through comprehensive support, including free tuition, a textbook lending library, laptops, advising, tutoring and financial incentives.
The new funding will build upon the foundation established with previous grants. The grant also supports the hiring of additional BMCC early childhood team members to manage the anticipated growth. The program currently serves approximately 300 students per semester.
Minnesota
Central Lakes College (CLC) will play a key role in a major statewide project to conserve water and improve irrigation efficiency on Minnesota farms. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in partnership with NRCS, local soil and water conservation districts, and educational institutions like CLC, has received $11.16 million through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Over the next five years, the project will provide grants and technical support to farmers across 25 counties, helping them upgrade irrigation systems, improve nitrogen management and protect groundwater resources.
CLC’s Ag & Energy Center will serve as a training and demonstration site for the initiative. Agency personnel who work directly with farmers will receive training on new irrigation technologies, while producers and policymakers will be able to see precision irrigation systems in action.
AgCentric, the Minnesota State Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence in Agriculture housed at CLC, also will support statewide education and advocacy efforts.
“This irrigation program will be one of the largest economic development impacts CLC and AgCentric have had on our agriculture economy, directly influencing the progression of precision irrigation technology,” said Keith Olander, director of AgCentric.
North Carolina
Biogen and the Biogen Foundation have pledged $250,000 to Durham Technical Community College’s new Novo Nordisk Life Sciences Center. The donation commemorates Biogen’s 30 years in the Research Triangle Park.
The new center will strengthen North Carolina’s life sciences talent pipeline. The Biogen Lab Hall will be part of the 35,000-square-foot facility, which will house 12 laboratories and industry-aligned training for hundreds of students annually.
“We can think of no better way to commemorate our three decades of investment and partnership in the Research Triangle Park community than with this important investment to Durham Tech,” said Nicole Murphy, head of pharmaceutical operations and technology at Biogen. “The institution has helped provide vital training and skills to future biotechnology leaders for more than 60 years, and we are proud to support such a vital program for our business and so many others.”
Oregon
Central Oregon Community College (COCC) has received its first TRIO Student Support Services grant. The $1.36 million grant from the U.S. Education Department will provide 140 low-income, first-generation students per year with specialized supports to help them graduate from COCC and transfer to a four-year university.
COCC joins 10 other Oregon community colleges and eight Oregon four-year universities in offering TRIO programs.
Washington
The ambulance bay of Tacoma Community College’s (TCC)new emergency medical services (EMS) lab will be named after TAPCO Credit Union, which recently donated $75,000 to support the newly constructed lab.
The new EMS Lab houses the TCC ambulance and provides an extension of the nearby EMS classroom, allowing students to practice transport scenarios.
