Everett Community College received more than $4.8 million in federal grants today, a windfall that will help the school train students in high-demand fields such as health care and green technology.
The award was announced by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, along with several other grants for Washington and Oregon community colleges.
Overall, Solis announced $125 million for 41 community colleges and other educational organizations.
It was the fifth and final round of awards from the federal Community-Based Job Training Grant program.
“We are making these investments in them so we can have a better skilled workforce for the recovery that’s soon to come,” Solis said.
Washington state schools share $9.6 million to train students for high-demand occupations. Jobs related to health care and renewable energy were mentioned as key areas.
“You couldn’t have a more appropriate targeting of job training right now,” Rep. Jay Inslee said.
Washington’s shortage of nurses will likely reach the 25,000 mark by 2020, Inslee said. He estimated the federal grant will help EvCC train about 720 people to enter that high-demand profession.
EvCC officials said the grant will expand the college’s registered nursing program, most notably by adding evening sessions starting in October.
“This funding strengthens our ongoing efforts to address our region’s nursing shortage, giving more students the opportunity to train for high-demand jobs,” EvCC President David Beyer said in a prepared statement.
Read Amy Rolph’s small-business blog at www.heraldnet.com/TheStorefront. Contact her at 425-339-3029 or arolph@heraldnet.com.
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