March 4, 2010
Innovative grant program will train workers for jobs needed now; funds to train Missourians for in-demand careers
Gov. Nixon announces Training for Tomorrow grant for Mineral Area College
PARK HILLS, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon today visited the campus of Mineral Area College in Park Hills to announce a $380,000 Training for Tomorrow grant to help prepare Missourians for careers in high-demand fields. Mineral Area College will use the funds to train additional nurses to meet critical health care needs in the region.
Launched by Gov. Nixon just two months ago, Training for Tomorrow is designed to educate Missourians for careers in growing industries. These grants will help community colleges create or expand training programs to serve additional students. Over the past two months, Missouri community colleges have worked quickly with local businesses to identify workforce needs and submit applications for funding to the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
"After sitting down with business and education leaders, it was clear that Missouri needed to ramp up training efforts to prepare our workers to compete in the 21st century," Gov. Nixon said. "As employers begin to hire again, they are going to need workers with training in fields such as health care, technology, green energy and computers. Training for Tomorrow will help get these programs up and running as quickly as possible - to get Missourians enrolled, trained and back on the job."
Through discussions with local health care providers, Mineral Area College identified a specific need for additional trained nurses. Many schools, including Mineral Area, already provide programs to help practical nurses continue their education and earn an associate's degree. Few programs exist, however, to help paramedics make such a transition.
The funds will allow Mineral Area College to develop a new "bridge" program to help paramedics boost their skills and earn associates' degrees in nursing. Because of the demanding schedules of working paramedics, the college will offer the courses exclusively during the evenings and on weekends at the Park Hills campus. This will be the first evening/weekend nursing program offered by the college. A pilot course for 10-12 students will begin in the spring 2011 semester; the first full class of 20-22 students will commence in fall 2013.
"Health care providers in our area have made clear that they need more nurses, and Mineral Area College is ready to help meet that need," President Steve Kurtz said. "Training for Tomorrow will help us meet the needs of local employers, and provide training for our students that will lead to fulfilling careers. We look forward to getting this program up and running as quickly as possible."
Member institutions of the Missouri Community College Association were eligible to apply for funding under Training for Tomorrow. Funding for the grants comes from the Second Supplemental Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grant, a federal program to assist with economic recovery efforts.
The grants were competitive, and colleges were expected to provide significant detail in their applications, including:
- Outlining the specific actions they will take to expand the capacity of high-demand programs;
- Detailing the market demand for the programs, both by students and employers;
- Identifying partners from business and industry who can help design the programs;
- Aligning the expansion of these programs with local economic-recovery efforts;
- Showing that the expansion will create or add pathways to specific high-demand careers in the local market; and
- Drafting an implementation plan for the programs.
Training for Tomorrow grants for community colleges across Missouri are being finalized. Gov. Nixon will visit additional colleges in the coming days to announce further Training for Tomorrow funding.