Seven community colleges will study and share best practices for integrating advanced manufacturing credentials into their college curriculum, thanks to a $600,000 grant from General Motors (GM) Corporate Giving that the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) will administer.
The colleges, which are located near GM facilities and will each receive $40,000, are:
- Ivy Tech Community College (Indiana)
- Lansing Community College (Michigan)
- Columbia State Community College (Tennessee)
- Owens Community College (Ohio)
- Johnson County Community College (Kansas)
- St. Charles Community College (Missouri)
- Imperial Valley Community College (California)
“Our community colleges are the key link between students and meaningful career paths,” said AACC President and CEO Walter Bumphus. “Working with respected leaders in the manufacturing industry such as General Motors will allow us to ensure that there is a solid bridge between skills education and the skills needed to succeed in today’s modern manufacturing facilities.”
The selected colleges will take part in an initial study that explores options that launch individuals into higher skills and higher wage opportunities.
Each college also will receive technical assistance from AACC. In addition, the association will develop collateral that will allow community colleges across the country to increase skills training for advanced manufacturing and elevate promising and best practices in program design and delivery for replication, adaptation and scaling.
