Mo. governor announces $12 million initiative to help CCs train for high-tech careers
By CC Times, Published January 12, 2010

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday traveled to two Missouri community colleges to announce a $12 million initiative to educate state resident in growing high-tech fields. Grants through the initiative will help Missouri community colleges create or expand training programs to serve more students, according to officials.

"Last fall, I toured many of Missouri's community colleges to hear directly about the needs of workers and businesses in their areas," Nixon said during his visits to Crowder College and Three Rivers Community College (TRCC). "In those conversations, it became clear that to turn this economy around, more Missourians need access to training programs in high-tech, high-demand fields.  Especially in growing industries like health care, technical training beyond high school is absolutely vital, but many of our community colleges simply don't have the equipment, instructors or resources to meet the needs of Missouri's workers.”

Under the Training for Tomorrow initiative, Missouri Community College Association members will partner with their county governments to apply for grants to develop or expand training programs in technical fields. Occupations targeted by these funds could include veterinary and pharmacy technicians, nursing aides or skilled craftsmen.

''One of the first things I would hope to spend the money on would be the equipment for a clinical simulation lab,'' said Kim Shackleford, chair of TRCC's health and human services division and director of the nursing program. 

Community colleges applying for the competitive grants will be required to provide a detailed description of the programs they plan to develop or expand, including:

• Outlining the specific actions they will take to expand the capacity of high-demand programs
• Detailing the market demand for the programs, both by students and employers
• Identifying partners from business and industry who can help design the programs
• Aligning the expansion of these programs with local economic-recovery efforts
• Showing that the expansion will create or add pathways to specific high-demand careers in the local market
• Drafting an implementation plan for the programs

Funding for the grants will come from the Second Supplemental Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grant, a federal program to help with economic recovery efforts.

"This program will provide new opportunities for Missouri workers, meet critical needs for our businesses, and help move our economy forward," said Marcia Pfeiffer, president of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley and chair of the Presidents and Chancellors Council of the Missouri Community College Association. "Our institutions play a vital role in preparing Missouri workers for the careers of tomorrow. This funding will help us expand our highest-demand programs, serve more students and get Missourians working quickly.”  

Watch a video from the governor’s fall tour of community colleges to discuss job training.