For Hometown News
TREASURE COAST- Indian River State College has been awarded a $589,401 national to develop and expand innovative training programs that lead to jobs in manufacturing, science, technology, engineering and math.
The four-year federal grant is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Initiative.
IRSC will share in $15 million received by the Florida TRADE consortium of 11 Florida state and community colleges. Grant funds will be used to develop business and education partnerships and create training programs to prepare students for industry certifications, internships and high-skills, high-wage jobs.
The manufacturing industry remains one of the highest paying industries in the state, and is projected to generate about 4,000 additional jobs by 2015. More than 80 percent of 1,100 manufacturing firms surveyed by the Manufacturing Institute indicate a shortage of skilled production workers.
"Through this initiative, IRSC will establish partnerships with businesses throughout the Research Coast to implement new and enhanced training programs that respond directly to the increasing need for skilled employees," said Edwin R. Massey, IRSC president.
During the first year of the initiative, IRSC will organize an advisory council of local business leaders to assess community needs. Learning modules will be developed to target specific industries and increase online-learning opportunities.
Students will be able to proceed from OSHA safety programs to general operation of machinery to sophisticated new technologies, including programmable logic controllers, optics, lasers, robotics and biomedical electronics.
IRSC will also work closely with area high schools to prepare students for industry certifications.
For more information, call (866) 792-4772.