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NORWALK, Conn. Norwalk Community College will receive nearly $6 million to fund employment training programs to prepare veterans, dislocated workers and other underemployed workers for work in the growing health and life science fields, according to a statement from Gov. Dannel Malloy.
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $12 million for a consortium grant proposal submitted by five community colleges, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Charter Oak State College, the statement said. The grant is funded under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants Program through the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.
"Health care and the life sciences are two sectors of our economy that are poised to grow in the coming century," Malloy said in the statement. "That's the reason we have vigorously pursued companies like Jackson Laboratories and Alexion to relocate and expand in our state. The more we can solidify Connecticut's role as a leader in these industries, the more our residents will have access to good paying jobs with good benefits."
NCC, the primary applicant for the grant, requested $5,971,240 in the proposal it collaborated on with Capital Community College, Manchester Community College, Gateway Community College and Middlesex Community College.
The grant money will be used to revise certificate and associate degree programs and other programs will be created, the proposal said. New certificate programs will include biomedical technician, surgical technologist, quality assurance technician and instrument calibration technician. New associate-degree programs will include health information technologist, medical coder (inpatient) and occupational health and safety specialist.
"This is excellent news for our institutions and for our state," NCC President David Levinson said in the statement. "This funding will go a long way toward helping us better prepare our students for fields that are hiring, and help those residents who are unemployed or underemployed find new jobs in the health and life science fields."
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