Raritan Valley Community College received two new grants that will open up apprenticeship opportunities for high school students and adults in advanced manufacturing. The Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education (PACE) grant is from the New Jersey Department of Labor, and the Expanding Community College Apprenticeships (ECCA) program grant is led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The one-year, $167,645 PACE grant will provide training for 15 high school students and 15 adults. The three-year $140,000 ECCA grant will focus on apprentices for students ages 17 and older. RVCC is a USDOL-registered apprenticeship site for the National Institute for Metalworking Skills to become a certified machinist.
“The new apprenticeship grants will offer RVCC the opportunity to provide students with the critical skills, certifications and hands-on experience to help them attain in-demand positions and succeed in the workplace,” said Joanie Coffaro, RVCC director of Workforce Training.
Launched at RVCC’s Workforce Training Center on July 22, the PACE program is offering 120 hours of training this summer to high school students from Manville, Bound Brook, Plainfield and the Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School. The four-week program includes information about the advanced manufacturing industry; OSHA, First Aid, CPR and other certifications; assistance with job readiness, career guidance and soft skills; employer panels; and an overview of RVCC programs and community support services. The grant also covers a one-year, part-time retention specialist placement coordinator position.
“I joined the program at RVCC to help get a leg up on my future career as well as help me find out about other careers and skills,” said Michele Hector, 17, of Plainfield. Participating in the apprenticeship program “helps me learn new skills in the workplace and in life and it gives a cool visual to my future.”
Students participating in the PACE program receive a $150 per week stipend. Bound Brook High School is providing all bus transportation, as well as lunches for students.
The goal of the program is to provide quality placement for students into the college’s Mechatronics, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (MEAM/Manufacturing) program, a partnership offered with SCVTHS and local businesses, or a registered apprenticeship. Internships also may be provided for students 17 and older.
An evening PACE program for adults will run later this year, offering the same curriculum and certifications.
The ECCA grant, which will kick off later this fall, is designed to place 105 participants in a DOL-registered apprenticeship and 45 participants in technical education by the final year of the program.
Some of the program’s younger participants will enter the MEAM/Manufacturing program. The grant also includes a three-year, part-time apprenticeship coordinator position.
The ECCA grant program is designed to provide direct support to community colleges to effectively expand registered apprenticeship opportunities across the country. The initiative will be used to support AACC member colleges, enabling them to create a minimum of 12,000 new apprentices in local communities across the country.
AACC will collaborate with selected community colleges over a 32-month period. These schools have been identified as uniquely positioned to provide relevant career and technical education in support of registered apprenticeship initiatives that serve the institutions’ labor market need and target industries.
For additional information about the PACE or ECCA Grants at RVCC, contact Joanie Coffaro at 908-526-1200, ext. 8639 or joananne.coffaro@raritanval.edu.
Submitted by Raritan Valley Community College