Submitted by Bates Technical College
The White House, U.S. Dept. of Labor and U.S. Dept. of Education announced last Monday that Bates Technical College will receive a $1.2 million grant. The grant will help strengthen employer engagement with the college and expand capacity in high-demand programs.
The federal money will help grow diesel mechanic training, electrical construction, and pre-apprenticeship training through the support of WorkForce Central’s Trade Occupations Opportunity Learning (TOOL) Center, a pre-apprenticeship building and construction trades program.
Bates’ grant is part of $450 million in federal money awarded to nearly 270 community and technical colleges across the nation as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program.
Brandon Rogers, dean of Bates’ South Campus, said, “The TAACCCT program has been transformative for the two-year college system and has validated the role of community and technical colleges in our nation’s economic blueprint. The competitiveness of these grants underscores the strength of our partnerships with business and industry, as well as the relevance of our career training programs,” said Rogers.
The grants will provide community and technical colleges with funds to partner with employers to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that will help job seekers get the skills they need for in-demand careers in industries like information technology, health care, energy and advanced manufacturing.
A portion of the grant money will also fund a full-time employment navigator, whose main job will be to link between and within systems and industries to help students succeed at all steps in his or her career path, and to become more self-sufficient.
“Twenty of the 29 fastest-growing occupations in Pierce County call for a two-year college education, and this funding is an investment towards filling the middle skills gap,” said Rogers.
