Eleven community colleges and systems will receive a total of $8 million from the Lowe’s Foundation to help expand their career and technical education efforts, from adding and expanding programs, to facility upgrades and hiring instructors.
The announcement Tuesday of the second round of Gable Grant recipients is part of the Lowe’s Foundation’s five-year, $50 million commitment to support the training of 50,000 people for skilled trades careers.
The colleges receiving the grants are:
- Baton Rouge Community College (Louisiana), $850,000
- Central Maine Community College, $500,000
- Central Piedmont Community College (North Carolina), $1 million
- Community College of Baltimore County (Maryland), $601,000
- Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation and Maricopa County Community College District, $1 million
- Midlands Technical College (South Carolina), $1 million
- Mountwest Community and Technical College (West Virginia), $415,000
- Southeast Community College (Nebraska), $470,000
- Valencia College (Florida), $500,000
- Wilkes Community College (North Carolina), $500,000
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College* (Georgia), $1 million
The ways in which colleges will use the grants vary. For example, the Maricopa system will use its grant to support construction trades programs at Mesa Community College, South Mountain Community College and Rio Salado College, including hiring new instructors, expanding facilities, and increasing marketing and recruitment outreach efforts.
Meanwhile, Baton Rouge will use its funding to establish a new plumbing training program and build a construction trades outdoor learning lab. The award to the Community College of Baltimore County will help the college expand its HVAC and building maintenance programs, including upgrading labs and equipment and expanding course offerings.
*Not a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.
