$300,000 grant will expand Elizabethtown Community and Technical College program to benefit transitioning veterans

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is the recipient of a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation aimed at helping military veterans transition into civilian life through education, preparing them for careers in manufacturing. Two faculty members from ECTC were instrumental in qualifying for the grant through their participation in an NSF mentoring program. The funds will mean ECTC can expand its Advanced Manufacturing Army Career Skills Program (CSP) to include robotics and automation certifications and that it can hire a Career Skills Program Coordinator.

An announcement of the grant was made through a news release from ECTC in April. The Advanced Manufacturing Army Career Skills Program is available to veterans through a partnership with Fort Knox and provides participants with a path to certification in electrical technology, computer aided drafting and design, and engineering and electronics technology. With the grant, ECTC is able to add the additional certifications in robotics and automation. 

Professors Brent Doty and Tim Cordova were key players in ECTC being awarded the competitive grant. The pair were chosen to participate in NSF's Mentor Connect program starting in 2019, which provided the college with training resources to become eligible for funding. Cordova and Doty worked with staff, faculty, and local employers to develop a program that addresses the needs of local employers by designing certification programs for veterans that makes them more employable as civilians. Speaking about the program, Cordova said, "This training pathway provides transitioning soldiers — men and women well known for their work ethic and leadership — the technical skills they need to succeed in today's advanced manufacturing industry. We're very excited about the opportunities ahead for CSP participants and their future employers."

Their work through 2020 helped secure the latest grant. Doty spoke about what the new grant will mean for CSP, "The grant allows us to provide an even higher level of service to our military community and our region's advanced manufacturing employers. We look forward to connecting more veterans and transitioning soldiers from the global Army community with in-demand careers thanks to our partnerships with Fort Knox and NSF."

The additional funding also means that ECTC can also afford to hire a Career Skills Program Coordinator, a new position devoted to administering CSP. ECTC is already accepting applications to fill this new role.