Nearly $22 million for programs at Cape Cod Community College & Massasoit Community College

 

Washington (October 1, 2014) – Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and Representatives William Keating, Niki Tsongas, and Joe Kennedy III applauded the awarding of more than $22 million from the Department of Education and the Department of Labor to Cape Cod Community College and Massasoit Community College for job-driven training programs. The New Aviation Maintenance Accelerated Job Training Program at Cape Cod Community College will receive $2.5 million. Massasoit Community College, as consortium leader of several Bay State community colleges, will receive $7.65 million, the other 14 consortium schools will each receive $525,000 and an additional $5 million will go to a statewide collaborative, for a total of $20 million. The Cape Cod Community College has developed a year-long program to train workers to be aviation maintenance technicians. The Massasoit Community College Consortium provides students with the opportunity to earn credentials from a variety of twenty-four different degrees/degree options and fifty-eight different certificates in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). 

 

“Massachusetts is a national leader in education and innovation, and these federal grants reflect the excellence of our community colleges in training the students of today for the careers of the future,” said Senator Markey. “The coordinated effort by Massasoit Community College will help hundreds of unemployed workers and veterans get the training they need to land high-skill, high-wage jobs. And the future careers of students at Cape Cod Community College will take flight as a result of its cutting edge aviation maintenance training program. By investing in our community colleges, we help provide Massachusetts businesses with the workers they need to compete in the global economy.” 

 

“Community colleges can provide high-quality, affordable higher education and career training, and Massachusetts has some of the best in the country,” said Senator Warren. “These new federal grants show national recognition for the important work our Commonwealth’s community colleges do to build opportunities for students, train and educate our workforce, and help strengthen our economy.”

 

“Cape Cod Community College has identified a critical need in the airline industry and has met this challenge by developing its unique FAA-certified airplane maintenance training program,” said Rep. Keating. “This funding will allow the College to accelerate development of this important program, which in turn will provide valuable jobs to our region and essential resources to the airline industry at large.”

 

“Using federal funds to partner with local communities to create jobs and employment opportunities puts us on a solid path to help strengthen our economy,” said Rep. Tsongas. “The funds from this project will allow American workers, many right here in Massachusetts, to gain skills and experience that will vastly increase their competitiveness in the global marketplace. This collaborative project is a great example of the sweeping success that partnerships between federal, state, and local organizations can have. It also highlights the important contribution our community colleges play in providing quality education and training to a whole range of people seeking to further their careers and secure their futures.”

 

“Across our Commonwealth, community colleges are utilizing STEM education to prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Rep. Kennedy. “From hiring new instructors and purchasing new equipment to continuing dialogue with local industry about the needs of their workforce, these funds will support the efforts of our community colleges to increase access to opportunity for their students. I commend the Department of Labor for providing these essential funds, and thank our Commonwealth’s community colleges for their leadership on STEM education.”

 

This week, Vice President Joseph Biden, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the recipients of $450 million in job-driven training grants going to nearly 270 community colleges across the United States. The funding is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program, which is co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education.

 

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