Columbus State Community College receives grant from US Department of Labor for engineering technician program
The grant will support the recruitment of more female students to the program, among other efforts.
Columbus State Community College has received a grant from the US Department of Labor that will provide $5.7 million over the next four years. Other institutions benefitting from the grant include Marion Technical College and Central Ohio Technical College, with more than 800 total students who will receive support to achieve their engineering technician education.
According to an article on Columbus State Community College’s website, president of the college David Harrison remarked on what receiving the grant funding will do for students, the school, and the state. He is quoted as saying, “With unprecedented growth in the semiconductor, bioscience, and clean energy industries, expanding Ohio’s engineering technology workforce will be the determining factor in sustained economic prosperity for students and families throughout the state. This grant will be important and necessary venture capital as Columbus State works to expand the talent pipeline to advanced manufacturing careers, with a specific emphasis on increasing economic opportunities for women and other groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in these fields. We’re delighted to be on the front lines of this transformational moment, and we’re grateful for this investment from the Department of Labor.”
The grant funding will help provide many benefits, including the ability to focus on recruiting women and other underrepresented groups in the field of engineering technicians. The grant funding will also help the school be able to address the types of barriers that might keep women from pursuing education, such as by offering childcare. The funding will also help implement training opportunities via paid employment that students can access while they are still in school. Wraparound support services and increasing help in math are also planned.
Kenny McDonald, who is the president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, said of the grant, “Access to timely, relevant and affordable education is an essential part of our strategy to expand economic prosperity throughout the Columbus Region. With this grant, Columbus State and its partners will continue to prepare residents from all backgrounds for these great careers of the future.”
For more information about Columbus State Community College, visit the school’s website.