Federal Grant Expands Jobs Training Programs, Business Partnerships at WCCCD

Nearly $2.5 Million Grant to WCCCD will go Towards Training Veterans, Other Eligible Workers for Cyber Security Industry, Jobs
A nearly $2.5 million federal grant to Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) will go towards expanding and strengthening the Wayne County Generation Cyber Project training dislocated workers, unemployed veterans and other eligible participants in the critical areas of cyber security and information assurance skills. Partnering with private and public sector organizations, the project offers both laboratory-based training and real-time operational field assignments.
WCCCD’s Generation Cyber Project grant was one of 71 awards given nationwide for the 2014 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) $450 million competitive grant program. Co-administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Education, WCCCD was only one of two community colleges in Michigan to be awarded the grant. An important consideration in the selection process for institutions was based on their partnerships with employers which are demonstrated in the WCCCD proposal.
“We are honored and thrilled to receive a grant that will allow us to expand our more than 110 work training programs and strengthen our partnerships with businesses and community organizations to put people back to work,” said WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery. “For nearly 50 years, WCCCD has focused on providing a pathway to a better life through higher education, and this grant will help countless unemployed or underemployed in our region move towards rewarding, in-demand careers.”
The grant involves strengthening partnerships with employers of all sizes across a broad spectrum of industries, as well as nonprofits and community-based organizations to assist connecting individuals with employers looking for skilled workers.