Madisonville Community College To Receive $1.2 Million Grant | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Madisonville Community College To Receive $1.2 Million Grant October 19, 2005 Washington, Oct 19, 2005 - Congressman Ed Whitfield announced Wednesday that Madisonville Community College (MCC) will receive a Federal grant totaling $1,210,008 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In June, Whitfield wrote to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao in support of MCCs grant proposal. Secretary Chao personally relayed the good news by telephone to Whitfield today.

The money will be used to prepare high school students for early entry into MCC nursing programs and add state-of-the art medical and instructional technology and equipment to better prepare nurses for immediate employment. In addition, the grant will provide scholarship funds for low-income recruits to enroll in the program.

Health care and nursing are expanding fields that constantly require new workers to keep up with demand, Whitfield said. This grant will provide our area with highly trained individuals to staff our hospitals and other medical facilities. In addition, the grant will provide training that will give students the skills they need to succeed in careers that are rewarding and provide long-term job security.

Last year, President Bush proposed $250 million for Community-Based Job Training Grants to strengthen the role of community colleges in promoting the U.S. workforces full potential. This employer-focused competitive grant program seeks to invest in and offer training in community and technical colleges. It builds on the High Growth Job Training Initiative, an effort in which community colleges take part as grantees and key partners.

Technology and innovation, globalization, and the aging of Americas workforce are continuously changing the nature of work as well as needs in the workplace. Businesses in high growth, high demand industries face increasing difficulties in finding workers with the skills they need. As a result, community colleges will be increasingly critical providers for workers wanting to develop, retool, refine, and broaden their skills. Because of their close connection to local labor markets, community colleges are well positioned to prepare workers for high demand occupations.

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