Millions Awarded to Wiregrass Colleges

Several community colleges have received over $10 million in federal funding.

The federal grant will be spread out among the Alabama/Florida Technical Employment Network.

That network is made up of several community colleges in the Southeast, including Wallace Community College and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.

The grant money will go towards funding new, high-tech equipment for teaching in the field of welding.

"We're going to be able to reach out to unemployed workers to give them training in the skills they need," said Joe Johnson, a welding instructor at Wallace Community College. "Welding is a high demand, high paid field, and we just want to fill those voids."

According to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, welding is one of the top 40 jobs expected to grow more than two percent over the next four years.

The over $10 million grant means the community colleges, like Wallace, will be able to supply an educated workforce.

"The grant is for multiple mobile welding units that have simulation units and traditional welding units. That way we can reach business and industry that they might not be able to afford to do otherwise," said Johnson.

Students training in the mobile welding units will have a hands-on experience in a safe environment, and will be able to learn their craft at a rate 20 percent faster than traditional welding classes.

The simulators cost over $40 thousand apiece, but with the help of the federal grant, the five community colleges that make up the Alabama/Florida Technical Employment Network will be able to foot the bill.