The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) recently announced approval of a grant in the amount of $510,000 to Jefferson State for the Automotive Industry Partnership Initiative. The project will train 58 high school students, have 47 completers with at least 28 obtaining jobs, and eight businesses will be improved by the project.
In order to strengthen and expand training for local automotive suppliers, grant funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipment required to expand the Manufacturing Systems Technology Option at the Jefferson and St. Clair County Campuses of Jefferson State to meet the training needs for local automotive suppliers.
The key component to this request is upgrading to newer Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) Technology so the college can provide training on Siemens PLCs that local manufacturers use in their plants.
The Manufacturing and Technology Program will use targeted strategies in order to remove barriers to participation in higher education, improve access to a quality workforce development program and consequently help foster economic development for the distressed areas.
By providing students with the opportunity to work as production interns within one of the partnering automotive supplier companies and receive financial assistance for tuition and books, the college expects to recruit a robust number of students from the distressed areas in Jefferson and St. Clair Counties.
In addition to ARC funds, other federal sources will provide $237,962 and state sources will provide $293,001, bringing the total project funding to $1,040,963.
