Wallace Community College Announces $10 Million Grant Award
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: September 19, 2012
Wallace
Community
College announces the award of a multi-million dollar federal grant for a
mobile welding and manufacturing technology project. The College was
informed of the $10,083,236 grant on Wednesday, September 19.
The
Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training
(TAACCCT) grant was approved for the
project "Alabama/Florida Technical Employment Network (AF-TEN)" to
develop a future workforce and to meet emerging technical needs. Chipola
College, Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, Northwest Florida State
College, Pensacola State College, and Wallace
Community College formed the consortium of Alabama and Florida colleges
requesting the funds. AF-TEN identified the growing disconnect between
the skills of available workers and the regional demand for employees
with skills for advanced manufacturing jobs.
Each school will share a portion of the award to implement the mobile
welding technology program.
"We
are so pleased that the Department of Labor is investing in WCC and our
partner institutions as we strive to meet
the workforce needs of the citizens in our region," said Dr. Linda C.
Young, president of Wallace Community College. This grant will make an
immediate and positive impact and will result in a highly skilled
workforce to meet the current and future needs of
our businesses and industries."
The
project will utilize online/hybrid learning, mobile welding units,
simulation technologies, and open
education resources to expand learning opportunities, especially in
rural areas and small towns where access to education is particularly
challenging.
The
Alabama Department of Industrial Relations (ADIR) lists welding among
Alabama's "Hot 40 Jobs" with expected
annual growth of more than 2% through 2018. Workforce Florida projects
annual growth of 13,500 jobs in advanced manufacturing and construction,
with 75% requiring postsecondary training.
