Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania last week awarded millions of dollars in grants to community colleges to boost workforce programs, help adults reconnect with college and support campus upgrades.
In Illinois, more than $20 million in capital grants will go to five community colleges to establish Manufacturing Training Academies (MTAs) on campus. The academies will prepare people for careers in advanced manufacturing while helping employers find the skilled workers they need to grow and create jobs. The grants come through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Kaskaskia College received $6 million to establish its academy. College President George Evans called the grant “transformational.”
“For the first time in our history, we will have a facility built specifically around the education and training needs of manufacturing and the skilled trades,” Evans said. “The KC Manufacturing Academy will give our faculty the space, technology and resources to take hands-on learning to an entirely new level while allowing us to adapt as industry and workforce needs continue to change.”
And a $6 million grant to Parkland College will support expanded welding and fabrication programming, dedicated biomanufacturing laboratories and increased capacity for industrial maintenance, automation and process controls training.
“Amid the evolving manufacturing industry needs, we look forward to this expansion to the college’s campus and being part of teaching the next generation of leaders in manufacturing,” said Parkland President Pam Lau.
The other grantee colleges include Illinois Central College and Lake Land College.
Helping adults connect with college
In Michigan, nearly $1.8 million will go to six colleges to increase college enrollment among current and potential Michigan Reconnect applicants.
The Reconnect Enroll with Momentum Grants come via the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP). They’ll support strategies that address barriers preventing adults from starting, renewing or persisting in their postsecondary education.
“These grants give colleges the opportunity to identify and remove barriers that can keep adults from taking that next step, while creating stronger connections between education, careers and the needs of Michigan communities,” said MiLEAP Executive Director Beverly Walker-Griffea, a former community college president.
Each college will receive up to $300,000 over the two-year grant period to implement strategies tailored to the needs of adult learners in their communities. Monroe County Community College, for example, will use its grant funding to strengthen partnerships with local jails, shelters and community organizations. The college will also provide adults from historically underserved populations with an advocate and access coach to help address barriers and navigate the enrollment process.
Another grantee, Muskegon Community College, will expand its partnership with Greater Muskegon Economic Development to increase outreach, provide on-site credit for prior learning support and develop clearer pathways for translating industry credentials into academic credit.
Other grant recipients include Jackson College and Montcalm and Oakland community colleges.
Supporting campus upgrades
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced more than $25.4 million in grants to 14 community colleges across the state to support facility improvements and upgrades to improve campus life for learners.
“Community colleges open doors for Pennsylvanians at every stage of life, whether they are earning a first credential, preparing for a career, or continuing their education,” Pennsylvania Education Secretary Carrie Rowe said in a statement.
Grants range from $50,000 to $4.25 million.
Many of the grants will go toward infrastructure improvement projects. Delaware County Community College, for example, received two grants: $4.25 million for HVAC replacement at its Marple Campus and $1.1 million to replace server/network equipment. Lehigh Carbon Community College will use a $950,000 grant for road resurfacing at its main campus and a $200,000 grant to replace the roof on the Morgan Center.
Some grants will help to upgrade specific classrooms and workforce training facilities. Community College of Allegheny County will use a $3.9 million grant to renovate its Public Safety Training Institute. With a $1.6 million grant, Community College of Philadelphia will renovate its Nursing Skills & Surgical Technology Lab.
“When we invest in safe, modern facilities, we invest in the students who learn there, the educators who teach there, and the communities and employers that depend on them,” Rowe said.
