COD Receives $520,000 U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant

COD Receives $520,000 U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced award recipients for the second round of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant (TAACCCT) program – a four year, $2 billion program created in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

As part of this program, College of DuPage will receive approximately $520,000 in funding from a $12.9 million TAACCCT grant awarded to the Illinois Network for Advanced Manufacturing (INAM), a consortium of 21 Illinois community colleges led by William Rainey Harper College in Palatine.

The “Earn and Learn Advanced Manufacturing Career Lattice Program” targets Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) workers, veterans and other individuals seeking additional training to secure and/or maintain employment by earning stackable, portable certificates and degrees leading to highly paid jobs within advanced manufacturing while simultaneously working in the industry.

Participants enter this program at multiple points based on assessment results that match skills and education needs. They will receive focused advisement, opportunities to earn credit for prior work experience, and a chance to complete co-op based training at College of DuPage and other INAM consortium colleges.

At College of DuPage, the INAM project will focus on the development of an Associate in Applied Science degree for the Welding program, the creation of practical experiences that prepare students to successfully attain American Welding Society (AWS) professional certification, as well as the purchase of additional welding equipment and tooling to enhance curricula and train students to industry standards.

Members of the INAM consortium include College of Lake County, College of DuPage, Daley-City Colleges of Chicago, Danville Area Community College, Elgin Community College, Harper College, Illinois Eastern Community College, Illinois Valley Community College, John Wood Community College, Joliet Junior College, Kankakee Community College, Kishwaukee College, Lincoln Land Community College, McHenry County College, Oakton Community College, Prairie State College, Richland Community College, South Suburban College, Southwestern Illinois College, Triton College and Waubonsee Community College.

For more information, please contact the College of DuPage Business and Technology Division at (630) 942-2592 or biztech@cod.edu.

Click here to watch a recent video about the College of DuPage Manufacturing Technology program. Include this?