The Alamo Colleges District is celebrating a $2 million gift from Zachry Corporation, which will support the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at the Alamo Colleges District – Northeast Lakeview College campus.
The collaboration between Alamo Colleges District, Texas A&M University and Zachry Corporation aims to create an affordable, accessible route for future engineers, addressing a workforce need in Texas. Funds will be utilized for scholarships, to enhance program resources and improve student services.
Launched in 2018, the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Alamo Colleges District allows students to co-enroll at Northeast Lakeview College and Texas A&M. Students complete their foundational courses at the college, benefiting from small class sizes, personalized support and facilities before transitioning to Texas A&M to complete their engineering degrees.
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Austin Community College District (ACC) received approximately $330,000 from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to expand training in battery-electric vehicle and fleet maintenance technology.
With the funding, ACC will purchase industry-standard equipment, supporting the college’s efforts to prepare students for careers in automotive technology, fleet maintenance and emerging transportation technologies.
“Transportation is changing quickly, and our students need more than a classroom to prepare for what’s next,” said ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart. “We have a responsibility to make sure students have the skills and confidence to step into a changing workforce, while helping employers find the talent they need to keep our region moving. This investment helps us do both.”
Arkansas
A $680,000 grant to NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) will support the development of a new bike loop and sports courts on campus. The funding comes from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.
The bike loop will connect to the Arkansas-Missouri Trail, which runs through the NWACC campus. The project will include lighted courts, including pickleball courts and a multipurpose sports court, bike racks and other supporting infrastructure. As part of the college’s Campus Master Plan, the project will strengthen NWACC’s connection to the regional trail system, as well as create a destination along the trail where users can engage with the NWACC campus through recreation and wellness.
“Outdoor recreation is part of our vision for a campus where students not only come to learn, but also to experience life together,” said NWACC President Dennis C. Rittle.
Colorado
Front Range Community College (FRCC) will become the first community college in the state to offer instruction in laser welding thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Colorado Community College System through its Innovations in Career and Technical Education grant.
The grant will outfit FRCC’s Larimer Campus with the same laser welding equipment now used by Northern Colorado’s aerospace, medical device, electronics and advanced manufacturing employers. It also will expand student access to robots, cobots and advanced CAD/CAM equipment.
“Laser welding isn’t a someday technology — it’s happening right now, in shops across Northern Colorado,” said Chris McGilvray, dean of FRCC’s School of Manufacturing, Skilled Trades and Applied Technologies.
In fact, six local businesses signed a letter of support for the college’s grant application, indicating that these skills will make FRCC graduates more employable. FRCC plans to leverage the funding to reach more students around the state. The college will share its new laser welding curriculum freely with Colorado’s other community colleges.
Florida
Tallahassee State College (TSC) has announced a $27.3 million investment in a new Workforce Training and Resilience Facility in Wakulla County. The project is supported by more than $17 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), $10 million from Triumph Gulf Coast and $266,158 from TSC Foundation donors.
The new facility marks the largest TSC capital project in the county and a major step toward the college’s long-term vision for a “unified Wakulla campus,” according to a press release. It will bring together programs currently offered at the TSC Wakulla Center, creating a central destination for education, workforce development and community engagement in Wakulla County.
“For years, we have worked alongside this community to expand access to education and create pathways to opportunity,” said TSC President Jim Murdaugh. “This facility will allow us to build on that foundation in a significant way, connecting students to high-demand careers, helping employers develop the skilled workforce they need, and creating an even stronger partnership between the college and the community we serve.”
The facility will support education and workforce training in high-demand fields, including healthcare, education, environmental sciences, marine service technologies and construction trades. Its elevated design also will allow portions of the building to serve as a Category 3-rated hurricane shelter.
Ohio
Owens Community College has secured a new five-year, $280,000 federal grant to expand its TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), allowing the college to serve 1,000 individuals annually, up from 850 during the 2021-26 cycle.
Since being first funded five years ago, EOC has helped thousands of individuals take steps toward postsecondary education. According to Brandon Gaddy, director of the TRIO programs housed at Owens, the new funding will support the hiring and training of qualified professionals “dedicated to helping individuals reach their educational and career goals.”
Gaddy added that this new grant cycle will allow the EOC program to not only increase its coverage and ability to help individuals but expand to help individuals connect with workforce development training for in-demand careers that offer quicker paths to employment.
Pennsylvania
Thanks to a $60,000 Opioid Remediation Grant from Dauphin County, students in the certified recovery specialist/certified family recovery specialist certificate program at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, will receive tuition assistance.
The funding will support 40 local residents enrolling in the program, as well as 60 individuals pursuing continuing education and re-certification.
HACC’s certified recovery specialist/certified family recovery specialist program provides students with the knowledge and skills to achieve a fulfilling career helping others overcome addiction. Individuals who complete the program are prepared to sit for a certification exam and work in a treatment center or outpatient setting.
