North Carolina community colleges get 19 million in federal grant money

N.C. community colleges will utilize about $19 million in federal grant money to bolster the state’s workforce and manufacturing sector.

The grant was awarded last week to 10 community colleges as part of a larger federal grant of $500 million for 32 community college consortiums nationwide.

The installment is the first of four grants that will total $2 billion during the next four years.

Other community colleges will be able to apply in groups for the next three installments.

The N.C. community colleges are part of the Robeson Community College consortium, which formed after the U.S. Department of Labor announced the grant opportunity in January, said Lisa Hunt, co-author of the consortium’s grant proposal.

According to a press release from the department, the grant aims to create a link between community colleges and employers in order to meet specific industry needs.

As a part of the grant, each college consortium is guaranteed at least one business partner, who is committed to assisting with job preparation.

The business partner would offer opportunities, such as job shadowing and mentoring, Hunt said.

The 10 N.C. community colleges will use the grant money to train students and prepare them for manufacturing jobs, an industry that has experienced layoffs and outsourcing in the state, said Charles Chrestman, president of Robeson Community College.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Carolina has the nation’s seventh highest unemployment rate of 10.4 percent, and the manufacturing sector has made 0.6 percent gains in employment in the past year compared to 3.2 percent gains in business and professional services.

Chrestman said the grant program will have a significant impact on student employment.

“We’re anticipating that 2000 to 3000 students will be affected and have an opportunity to find work,” he said.

The formation of the consortium allows N.C. colleges to partner with 30 to 40 businesses across the state, he said.

“It is very important that the certification and training programs work with these companies, or else we’re like an airplane without a compass, and we don’t know where we’re going,” he said.

The grant program also involves purchasing new equipment and hiring personnel.

Beaufort County Community College, one of the schools in the consortium, will purchase computers, robotics equipment and simulators for their electrical program, said college President David McLawhorn.

Part of the grant will be used to equip students with iPad 2 devices and create a more flexible learning environment, Chrestman said.

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