AUBURN — The federal government is awarding more than $13 million to Maine colleges and Central Maine Community College is the top recipient.
The Auburn school is slated to receive $4,668,250 as part of a package to develop or expand partnerships with local employers.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for the CMCC,” said Dean of Planning Roger Philippon, “and the entire community college system.”
Already lauded for its community partnerships, the school is ready to use the money in a variety of ways, Philippon said.
“We plan to begin offering new programming in the fall 2014,” Philippon said Thursday. “CMCC will serve as the lead institution for the grant and will receive $4.7 million from this systemwide grant. As the lead institution, the college will need to hire a project director, a financial officer and others to administer the program. In addition, the college will add two new faculty members in computer technology.”
The main objectives, Philippon said, are as follows:
* Enhance and expand computer technology education and training
* Add a new associate degree program in network security
* Provide dynamic and flexible programming to students, with multiple entry points available, not just traditional fall and spring semester starts
* Offer a variety of certified training opportunities for IT professionals, including non-credit offerings
* Provide IT professionals with multiple opportunities to earn “stackable” credentials in their field
* Develop a virtual computer simulation lab that would allow for assessment of student competencies
* Provide comprehensive support that can help students at whatever level they are at when they come to the college
A total of $474.5 million has been awarded to community colleges and universities around the country for the development and expansion of training programs in partnership with local employers.
In addition to CMCC, a half dozen Maine schools will receive money from the program. They are: Eastern Maine Community College, $1,422,710; Kennebec Valley Community College, $2,161,343; Northern Maine Community College, $153,121; Southern Maine Community College, $3,164,830; Washington County Community College, $404,158; and York County Community College, $1,098,323.
“Community colleges play a vital role in training Americans to meet the needs of employers today,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. “As our economy continues to rebuild, businesses are looking for employees with the skills their company needs to stay competitive, and America’s students and adult workers want to be equipped to fill those roles. These grants help to meet those demands, providing critical investments in education and supporting key partnerships.”
It was not known Thursday night how CMCC will utilize the funds. According to the release, schools that received funds will use the money to transform the way they schedule, sequence and deliver education and training programs that can be completed in two years or less.
A variety of activities will be made possible, according to the release, including hiring or training instructors to expand capacity to offer in-demand courses or certifications, leveraging online learning to accelerate skills attainment, developing new curricula and training models to add additional classes and certifications, purchasing new equipment to ensure students train on what employers actually use, designing new programs based on the input and needs of local employers and expanding career pathways in which stackable credentials are linked to industry skills and lead participants to higher-skill jobs.
According to the release, grantees were required to demonstrate local labor market need for enhanced training in specific industries, strong engagement with employers in the design and delivery of training activities and work-based learning, a commitment to evidence-based program design and rigorous third-party evaluation, the use of stacked and latticed credentials, a clear plan for the transferability and articulation of course credit, application of advanced online and technology-enabled learning, strategic alignment with the workforce system, philanthropic organizations and other community partners and the ability to leverage previously funded projects.
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