Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington won $40,000 in a “Pitch for the Skilled Trades” competition to build a cyber range on campus. The funds come from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The competition is for faculty, staff, administrators and presidents from NACCE-member colleges to present to a panel of judges for funding. Winners demonstrate the greatest economic impact on the local level relative to jobs supported.
The cyber range will enable Ivy Tech Bloomington to provide simulation cybersecurity training in a safe environment, run live team exercises, optimize tech stack and security processes, and foster collaboration among information technology students.
The college will use the funds to purchase hardware and software to set up the cyber range on campus in the Smithville Center for Computing and Informatics.
Maryland
Montgomery College (MC) has received a $450,000 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services grant. With the funding, the college will provide at least 500 lawful permanent residents (LPRs) with citizenship preparation classes, activities to support integration into American civic life and naturalization application services.
“Since 2010, Montgomery College has served more than 3,300 learners through this grant-funded program, helping individuals increase their knowledge of English, as well as U.S. history and civics in preparation for becoming U.S. citizens,” said MC President Jermaine F. Williams. “The college is proud to support these immigrants, who enrich the culture and communities of Montgomery County.”
The college’s Citizenship Preparation Program uses the Enhanced Integration Tasks (EIT) model to help learners integrate into the receiving community. The program also works with local libraries and community-based organizations to enhance LPRs’ knowledge of available naturalization services.
Minnesota
Normandale Community College and Bloomington-based semiconductor manufacturer Polar Semiconductor have jointly accepted a $364,489 Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) training grant. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) grant aims to provide training in a variety of areas to Polar employees as they prepare to expand production to meet the high demand for semiconductors.
The pandemic and subsequent supply chain shocks created a large deficit in semiconductor chip production. Recent federal actions, such as the CHIPS Act, have sought to reverse this trend by expanding domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.
Normandale and Polar are both part of the Minnesota CHIPS Consortium, which comprises more than 35 organizations including manufacturers, supply-chain partners, education and training providers, labor organizations, and state and local governments.
As part of the training in the grant, employees will be instructed in Polar’s vision for the industry to ensure that there are no gaps in understanding the strategic focus of this specialized manufacturer. In addition, training will be provided in computer fluency for working with touchscreens and typical office software and in inclusive excellence with topics in intercultural agility and communication, leading across cultures, ESL for manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing terminology.
“Through these efforts, we believe we can play a role in helping reduce the risk of the chip shortages,” said Polar President and Chief Operating Officer Surya Iyer.
Nebraska
A $50,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation will support students in Central Community College’s (CCC) advanced manufacturing design technology (AMDT) program.
Since 2015, the AMDT program at the college’s Hastings Campus has received annual scholarship grants from the Gene Haas Foundation totaling $273,000. CCC-Hastings also received a $250,000 naming rights grant, designating it as a Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence.
New Jersey
For the 10th year, County College of Morris (CCM) will receive a College Readiness Now (CRN) grant for just over $50,000. The grant from New Jersey’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education will support efforts to increase the number of high school graduates prepared for college.
Thanks to partnerships with high schools in Morris County, participating 12th-grade students may take a year-long equivalency course in mathematics taught by the district. Those who are identified as not college-ready in math may participate in a five-week summer bridge program. Students who successfully complete this before enrolling as a first-year student at CCM are exempt from the college’s math placement exam and ready to take college-level math courses, saving time and money.
CCM is working towards implementing a similar English as a second language program.
Tennessee
Roane State Community College has received a $1.44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The funding will help Roane State design, develop and grow nuclear industry training and work-based learning opportunities. The programs will prepare students seeking occupations in this field and further support those who are already part of the nuclear workforce in east Tennessee.
Roane State will partner with several local employers throughout the grant’s five-year term, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), local labor unions and others. Members of the college’s newly established Nuclear and Energy Technology Program Advisory Board will also assist with the effort.
The college already has strong relationships with the various nuclear facilities in the Oak Ridge area, supporting employee training, developing internships and apprenticeships, and providing skilled workers for critical positions.
The University of Tennesse-Battelle, which manages and operates ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, recently donated $100,000 to help launch a nuclear technology program at the college.
Roane State also recently received $5,000 from the Cumberland Good Samaritans to help fund the expansion of the Cumberland County campus. The project includes the construction of new flexible labs and classrooms, which will support increased health science enrollment and a new nursing program cohort. Construction on the expansion is underway.
“This project will help Roane State eliminate barriers to program completion and student success by reducing drive times, gas and vehicle maintenance costs, challenges with finding childcare and other obstacles associated with longer commutes,” said Scott Niermann, Roane State Foundation’s executive director.
