Central Community College’s (CCC) new automotive careers training center is closer to becoming a reality, thanks to a $20,000 donation from the Nebraska Rod and Custom Association (NRCA).
The $23 million, 42,000-square-foot facility will be home to the Nebraska college’s auto body technology and automotive technology programs. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2026 or early 2027.
NRCA members Lin Hoskins and Brad Kernick presented the check to Hastings Campus administrators and several CCC students in both programs.
“The average age of an automotive tech now is about 56 years old, so that means before long they’re going to be hanging up their hats and retiring,” said Hoskins, who was a student at CCC in 1967 when the school was known as Central Nebraska Technical Community College. “That’s why there is such a need for the young people to get in and learn these automotive skills.”
NRCA also gives scholarships to auto tech students who attend any Nebraska technical and community college. This year, the organization will fund a dozen scholarships, each worth $2,000.
California
Thanks to a $1 million gift from philanthropist Roger Frey, the San Diego Community College District is ensuring students completing healthcare degree and certificate programs can start their careers immediately.
The gift builds upon Frey’s previous $600,000 contribution. It also marks the first major donation toward a new $12 million endowment campaign that will permanently sustain the college district’s Ready2Work program, which reimburses healthcare students for required licensing, certification and testing expenses.
According to district data, the more than 1,100 students currently enrolled in various healthcare programs will spend a total of $526,631 this academic year on licensing exams alone, or nearly $500 per person on average.
Louisiana
Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) has received a Horiba ABX Pentra XL 80 Hematology Analyzer from Monroe Surgical. Valued at about $7,000, the analyzer will enhance hands-on training for students enrolled in the growing medical laboratory technician (MLT) program at LDCC Monroe.
LDCC’s MLT program prepares students to help close the regional workforce gap in medical laboratory professions. There are currently 28 students in the program. The newly donated analyzer mirrors the technology used in modern healthcare settings, strengthening students’ skills before they enter clinical rotations.
Michigan
The Oakland Community College (OCC) Foundation has launched “The Next Course: Campaign for the Culinary Studies Institute,” a $2.5 million initiative to support OCC’s culinary students in the classroom, industry and community and throughout their careers.
The foundation also provided the leadership gift of $1 million.
Adding momentum to the launch, OCC Chancellor Peter Provenzano and his wife, Cindy, announced a $100,000 personal contribution to the campaign.
The fundraising campaign comes a month after the opening of OCC’s new Culinary Studies Institute on the Royal Oak campus.
Mississippi
Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) will use a $499,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to expand its prison education program. The funding will support efforts to enhance educational services for incarcerated students across all five of the program’s locations, which include the Mississippi State Penitentiary and the Delta Correctional Facility.
The college will use bulk of the funds to establish a full-time prison education program coordinator position and provide an academic advising stipend, alongside training support for faculty and peer tutors. This will help ensure that incarcerated students have expanded access to pursue an associate of arts degree.
New York
The Retirees Association of Suffolk Community College (RASCC) is supporting two projects for the college through $1,000 Legacy Fellowship Grants to enhance students’ educational experience.
The first grant-funded project is a steamroller printmaking project led by art instructor Michael Levine. Visual art students will design and carve oversized woodcuts and participate in a public “steamroller printing” event at the end of the spring semester, bringing together students, faculty, staff and community members for a unique hands-on art experience.
The second grant is funding the launch of the RESTART program, led by Natasha McCombs, assistant director of the Academic Success & Tutoring Center. The new academic renewal initiative will provide structured support for students facing academic dismissal or academic warning. Funding will supply student resource booklets and materials for successful program participants, enhancing academic skills, engagement and retention.
North Carolina
Forsyth Technical Community College will use a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to establish the Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Development Initiative (PAADI), which aims to expand career pathway opportunities in information technology and healthcare for local graduating high school students.
The grant will support Forsyth Tech’s work with K-12 schools to transition existing College and Career Promise (CCP) pathways into three formal youth apprenticeship programs. The initiative also will recruit 25 local businesses to employ and mentor youth apprentices and will include a business-focused event to build awareness and long-term employer participation.
The PAADI project looks to address workforce shortages in IT and healthcare through structured, career-connected pathways that provide hands-on experience, industry credentials and access to long-term employment opportunities, according to the college. By the end of the grant period, Forsyth Tech anticipates serving and improving outcomes for high school students, trainees and business partners. The project also expects to implement two new programs tied to these pathways.
In addition to ARC funding, local sources will provide a $300,000 match, bringing total project support to $600,000.
Oregon
The Judith Ann Mogan Foundation awarded an $80,000 grant to Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation to support construction of a new diesel mechanic technology building, which will lead to expanded workforce training opportunities for students pursuing careers in diesel mechanics and heavy equipment maintenance.
The new diesel shop will provide expanded lab and classroom space equipped with industry-standard diagnostic and repair tools. Students will gain practical training in the technologies used by employers in transportation, manufacturing, global trade and natural resource industries.
“In a rural, isolated area like ours, industries that rely on diesel technology are vital to our economy. By expanding this program, we’re helping local employers remain competitive while preparing students for high-skilled, well-paying careers,” said Southwestern President Patty Scott.
To support the program and get ready for the new shop, regional businesses have donated more than $200,000 in equipment.
Pennsylvania
Reading Area Community College’s (RACC) dual-enrollment program got a boost with a $4,500 donation from Mid Penn Bank.
“High school students throughout Berks County will be inspired by this important gift for those looking to find the funding to continue their education or enter the workforce after high school,” RACC President Susan Looney said during a check presentation this month.
South Dakota
Southeast Technical College (STC) is creating new hands-on learning opportunities on its campus with the new Wells Fargo Homebuilding Lab, made possible by a $2 million grant from Wells Fargo.
The lab will provide students with real-world experience in residential construction while supporting affordable housing in the Sioux Falls region.
The announcement came at an on-campus event attended by Gov. Larry Rhoden, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota), Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and television personality and skilled trades advocate Mike Rowe.
“In South Dakota, we build for the future — and that is exactly what this new homebuilding lab does,” Rhoden said. “It equips our students with the skills and resources they need to thrive, while also strengthening our communities one house at a time.”
Texas
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has awarded $9.9 million in grants to colleges across the state through the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Grant Program.
The grants help the colleges create, redesign and expand short-term workforce education and training programs in high-demand occupations.
Among the grantees are three consortiums, each of which will receive $800,000 for their programs: Alamo Community College District and San Jacinto College are partnering on data science/AI programming; Grayson and Vernon are partnering on HVAC/welding programming; and Hill and Weatherford colleges are partnering on IT/cybersecurity programming.
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Hill College has received from Hill County Emergency Services District #2 (ESD #2) a $40,000 scholarship gift to support students pursuing EMT basic certification through the college’s emergency medical services (EMS) program.
The EMS program is part of the college’s broader mission to meet regional workforce needs and support community health and safety.
“The impact of this scholarship for both our students and the Hill County community will be deeply beneficial,” said Ashlee Ferguson, executive director of institutional advancement.
