Owens receives $1.9 million federal stimulus grant to expand training opportunities for unemployed workers
PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, July 3, 2009: The Lucas County Workforce Development
Agency, by the authority of the Lucas County Board of Commissioners, has awarded Owens Community College a $1.9 million federal stimulus grant to provide short-cycle training and job placement opportunities for unemployed and dislocated workers within high growth, high demand occupations that include “green collar,” health care and construction-based industries. The $1.9 million in federal funding is the largest grant or gift ever received in the College’s 44-year history.
The Lucas County Workforce Development Agency designated funding for the grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title I funds and the 2009 National Emergency Grant.
“Owens Community College is proud to once again collaborate with the Lucas County Board of Commissioners and provide area residents with the necessary education and training to give them a competitive edge in today’s global economy,” said Christa Adams, Ph.D., President of Owens Community College.
Dr. Paul Unger, Executive Vice President and Provost of Owens Community College added, “Through our existing successful partnership with the Lucas County Board of Commissioners at The Source in downtown Toledo, Owens Community College has been able to provide over 2,000 area residents with access to a college education. The new short-cycle training and job placement initiative will certainly build upon The
Source’s current success and afford even more citizens the opportunity
to connect their education and training to employment.”
“At a time of great upheaval in our local manufacturing workforce,
these federal dollars give our unemployed and dislocated workers a
chance to re-train, re-focus and get back on the job,” said
Commissioner Pete Gerken.
“Good-paying green jobs are the key to our future here in Lucas
County, and by partnering with Owens Community College, we will give
displaced workers the training they need to secure these exciting
opportunities,” said Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak.
“This is a model for the type of investment we as a community need to
make in our workforce. Education and worker re-training are indeed how
we will transition into a 21st Century economy. Our strength is our
workforce, and government should ensure that we equip our workers with
the tools to prosper,” said Commissioner Ben Konop
As part of the new job training initiative, Owens will provide academic
and support services to unemployed, under employed and dislocated
workers within several high growth, high demand occupations. Short-cycle
“green collar” training programs will include wind power
installation, wind technician maintenance, solar water heating
installation, solar water heating service, geothermal installation,
geothermal service, energy management, hybrid technology, green
materials transportation and photovoltaic installation. Health care
specific programs for students will include the state nurses assistant
program, home health care, pharmacy technician, medical billing and
coding, phlebotomy technician, personal trainer and EKG technician.
In addition to “green collar” and heath care training, Owens will
offer short-cycle, pre-apprenticeship training to prepare area residents
for construction-based careers as electricians, pipefitters,
boilermakers and other fields within the construction industry.
All educational training will take place within a six-month period or
less and feature the latest in innovative technology and academic
resources. Upon program completion, participants will receive industry
recognized certification. The short-cycle job training programs will
occur at Owens’ Learning Center at The Source in downtown Toledo.
Owens will also partner with NetWork to provide job readiness, job
development and follow-up services as part of the new program. NetWork,
a division of the Zepf Center, serves as the current one-stop
coordinator of The Source.
The Source, Lucas County’s One-Stop Employment Center is committed to
quality-driven workforce services that assist individuals in developing
and enhancing a multitude of work skill sets to meet the current and
future needs of local businesses while embracing local economic growth
and individual prosperity.
The organization is also dedicated to quality-driven services, meeting business needs, meeting job seeker needs, diversity, accessibility, respecting the internal and external
customer, collaboration of community resources, economic development, innovative leadership, a seamless system of workforce development, lifelong and continuous learning, technology to enhance efficiency, customer satisfaction and continuous quality improvement.
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