Feds direct $18M to MO community colleges

Nearly $18 million in competitive federal funding has been made available for Missouri community colleges to train adult students in advanced manufacturing and public safety.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program approved two Missouri applications, according to a news release from Gov. Jay Nixon's office.

A Missouri community college consortium, which is led by St. Louis Community College and includes Ozarks Technical Community College, has received nearly $15 million to launch MoManufacturingWins, through which students can earn skill certificates recognized and endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers. The certificates show employers that workers have skills in specifics manufacturing areas such as production, industrial maintenance, welding, machining, and transportation and logistics, the release said.

Other colleges participating in the consortium are East Central College; Linn State Technical College; Metropolitan Community College; Mineral Area College; North Central Missouri College; and St. Charles Community College.

The Labor Department also approved an application for roughly $2.9 million for Neosho-based Crowder College's Southwest Missouri Public Safety and Emergency Medical Initiative. The program allows Crowder to develop programs and courses and expand existing programs to train students for careers in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services. Crowder also will launch an associate degree in public management, according to the release.

“Advanced manufacturing and public safety are fields poised for continued growth in Missouri," Nixon said in the release. "These programs will help more Missourians compete for jobs in these dynamic industries.”