Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) will expand customized training options thanks to a $140,000 investment in an endowment from the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF). The funding comes through the dissolution of the Elizabethtown Industrial Foundation Training Consortium and reflects the growth in ECTC’s ability to provide employers with customized training.
“As the needs of our region’s employers have evolved, ECTC has stepped up to deliver flexible training options and save employers over $1 million annually through the KCTCS TRAINS program,” said EHCIF President and COO Rick Games. “Because the community’s needs outgrew the capacity of the Training Consortium, we are proud to create a permanent source of funding for high-demand programs that will develop our workforce.”
In addition to implementing new training programs, the endowment allows ECTC to support faculty positions, offer scholarships and facilitate the transfer for students to baccalaureate degree programs in Kentucky. The endowment will be eligible for dollar-for-dollar matching funds through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
Maryland
Wor-Wic Community College received a $60,000 pledge from Avery Hall Insurance and a $25,000 pledge from Shore United Bank to support the “Preparing for a Stronger Tomorrow” campaign. The campaign addresses the practical needs of students through scholarships, technology across campus and equipment to boost workforce training and college credit programs.
American Legion Post 64 also provided a $2,000 donation to the college recently. Post 64 provides two $1,000 scholarships to veteran students at Wor-Wic every year.
New Jersey
Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) will expand training opportunities using $3 million in federal funding. The American Rescue Plan funds are being allocated to RVCC by the Somerset County Board of Commissioners.
The funding will help RVCC expand its Workforce Training Center on the Branchburg campus from 44,000 square feet to 66,000 square feet. The center will add classrooms, electric vehicle automotive and mechatronics space, and will double RVCC’s advanced manufacturing programs. It also will boast the state’s first community college clean room.
New York
Bronx Community College (BCC) was recently awarded two grants from the New York State Workforce Development Initiative (WDI).
The first grant of $1.5 million will help to implement the Uptown Future of Work Centers program. BCC is partnering on the program with Hostos Community College (HCC) and the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) to develop and implement allied health curricula across several in-demand, short-term training programs. They’ll work across their employer networks to accomplish this.
The colleges will build the internal capacity at each location by facilitating cross-collaboration with employers — resulting in more jobs and internship opportunities for all students — and implementing referrals between programs so that the trainings offered by each campus will be open to all students.
The second WDI grant to BCC, in the amount of $498,466, supports the college’s Design Studio – the first student-run graphic design studio on any CUNY campus. The studio aims to provide professional development and experiential education opportunities to BCC digital design majors to prepare them for jobs and careers in design-related occupations. It serves as a bridge between academia and the workforce that provides students with professional experience and mentoring in client management, collaboration and communication.
North Carolina
Johnston Community College (JCC) purchased two Freightliner road tractors thanks to a $443,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation’s Open Grants Program. The additional trucks will allow JCC’s truck driver training program to increase its enrollment from 185 to 241 during the course of the grant.
The funding also allows 30 incumbent workers to enroll in new continuing education courses and 20 high school students to participate in a new career and technical education pathway through JCC’s Career and College Promise program.
In other JCC funding news, the robotics team hosted by the college – the JoCo Robos – received $10,000 through the Norwalk Havoc Robot League (NHRL) 2023 College and University Grant Opportunity. The grant will cover costs for the team to attend the statewide FIRST Robotics competition in March.
The JoCo Robos team is an all-county high school team of 15 students working closely with instructors and volunteer mentors. They have six weeks to conceptualize, design, build, program, modify and test a robot to participate in the competition.
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Golden LEAF also awarded Craven Community College with $495,115. The funds will go toward renovating two structures at the college’s Volt Center, transforming them into workforce training facilities.
Craven CC plans to develop and implement a heavy equipment operator program and a construction trade/light manufacturer incubator to assist entrepreneurs in establishing trades-based small businesses that will support prime contractors.
Pennsylvania
An anonymous HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College alumnus contributed a six-figure gift to fund full-ride scholarships for at least 10 students. The HACC Academic and Workforce Development Full-Ride Scholarships will cover all HACC-related expenses, including tuition, books and fees.
“We are blessed to have the support of thousands of donors — individuals and organizations — throughout our community,” said Linnie Carter, vice president of college advancement and executive director of the HACC Foundation. “This particular donor is extra special, because they are a HACC graduate. They loved their experience at HACC and went on to have a very successful career. When pondering how they could make a positive difference in Central Pennsylvania, they immediately thought of their alma mater.”
