The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is awarding $65 million in grants to consortia in seven states to help community colleges develop high-quality, short-term programs that can qualify for Workforce Pell funding.
In its announcement on Wednesday, DOL said the sixth round of Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCCTG) funding is focused on statewide community college systems or a consortia of community colleges to “ensure effective development and expansion of the new programs and support the statewide coordination that is necessary for successful implementation of Workforce Pell Grants.”
The funding will support seven institutions and 102 consortium members, using funds appropriated by Congress in fiscal year (FY) 2025. DOL officials had previously indicated that they may devote two years of SCCTG funding to Workforce Pell programs and have reserved the right to use FY 2026 funds to make additional awards to proposals that were submitted in Round 6 but not yet funded.
The selected states (see list, below) will use their grants for training across several industry sectors, including artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, construction and skilled trades, nuclear energy, information technology and shipbuilding, DOL said.
A statewide approach
Most of the consortia include 12 to 15 community colleges. The Alamo Community College District, which heads a 37-college consortium, will receive $10.5 million. The Community College of Rhode Island, the only public two-year college in the state, will receive a grant of nearly $6 million.
DOL said the strategy aims to quickly help employers find the skilled workers they need in high-demand sectors and break down existing silos between education and state workforce systems, with improved data integration, a key component of this round of funding.
State officials and leaders of several selected colleges applauded the statewide approach. Michael Heindl, president of Northwest Mississippi Community College, which is leading the 14 other community colleges in the state on its $8.5 million grant, said the work is bigger than any one institution or region.
“It is an opportunity to build a coordinated statewide approach that gives more Mississippians access to short-term, high-quality training leading directly to in-demand careers,” said Heindl, who serves on the American Association of Community Colleges board of directors. “We are proud to help turn this investment into programs and pathways that will serve students, employers and communities across Mississippi.”
Mississippi’s initiative is expected to serve more than 1,500 participants and support at least 19 short-term training programs seeking Workforce Pell eligibility, according to the office of Gov. Tate Reeves. Programs will focus on employer-validated, in-demand career pathways and credentials that are portable, stackable and connected to opportunities for continued education.
The Workforce Pell program, which opens Pell grants to eligible short-term programs, started on July 1. Since then, 11 short-term training programs at five community colleges in four states (Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas) have received approval from the U.S. Education Department.
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Matthew Dembicki is associate vice president of communications at the American Association of Community Colleges, and edits CC Daily. Jim Hermes is AACC’s associate vice president of government relations.