Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants

Sponsoring Agency:

• Department of Labor
• Funding: $537,904
• Grant Timeline: 5/1/24 – 4/30/28

The Strengthening Community College Training Grants initiative (administered by the U.S. Department of Labor) funds community colleges to expand and enhance workforce training that meets the evolving needs of employers and learners. Designed to build institutional capacity, this program supports colleges in developing sector-based career pathways that lead to high-demand, quality jobs and strengthen career success for students, especially those from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Across multiple rounds of funding, the grants invest in partnerships between community colleges, employers, and workforce systems to align education and job training with regional labor market needs.

These grants have supported programs that expand access to affordable, high-quality training; create earn-and-learn opportunities; strengthen student support services; and promote equitable employment outcomes — helping community colleges prepare more learners for successful careers while meeting local and regional workforce demands.

Project Objectives:

• Enrolling 57 participants into one of their Engineering Technician programs – Engineering Technologies (Mechanical, Electrical, Robotics and Automation, Smart Manufacturing, Semiconductor) – with 50% of participants being female identifying.
• Offer individual and group math tutoring and ESOL language and writing instruction.
• Facilitate childcare solutions and other wrap-around services for students with on-campus resources and/or partnerships with community-based organizations.
• Adopt and implement a structured earn-and-learn program model based on CSCC’s Modern Manufacturing Work Study (MMWS) program, with employer-led mentorship. Work-based learning should be integrated within the first project year and continue throughout the entire project period.
• Identify and train a WISE Pathways program coordinator; launch WISE Pathways program. The first cohort should run within the first project year and be an ongoing strategy.
• Establish a FERPA-compliant data management plan to document and track participants.
• Conduct annual surveys and focus groups of students in the Engineering Technician Career Pathway Programs to incorporate student voice into development activities.