September 19, 2012, Dearborn, Mich.—Henry Ford Community College (HFCC) won a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training (TAACCCT) program.
HFCC will take the lead in a multi-state consortium with twelve community colleges from around the nation and their industry partners to create high-tech job training opportunities for workers in the manufacturing sector.
According to Gail Mee, president of HFCC, the project “will transform community college manufacturing programs through the development of new industry-driven training programs and credentials. We are very pleased to receive this grant and look forward to working with our partners. The project will play a major role in the economic development of the region and prepare workers for the manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow.”
The TAACCCT grant program provides community colleges with funding to expand career training programs for workers whose jobs were sent overseas or lost as a result of foreign trade. The program is highly competitive and HFCC received the maximum amount awarded this year.
In a press release, Senator Debbie Stabenow said, “For Michigan to be competitive in the global economy, it’s critical our workers have the right skills and training opportunities to help our businesses create the jobs of the future here in Michigan.” She added that HFCC is “rising to that challenge by preparing workers, whose jobs have been outsourced through no fault of their own, with the skills to match the needs of emerging high-tech industries.”