Two area community colleges receiving millions in federal job-training grants

Two area community colleges will receive millions in federal grant money supporting job training partnerships with local companies looking for skilled workers.

The Obama administration on Monday announced the award of $450 million in job-driven training grants to nearly 270 community colleges, including $2.5 million for Johnson County Community College and $3.8 million for Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City.

Washburn University in Topeka is getting $11.9 million.

A White House statement said the money is intended to “assist in getting thousands of low-wage Americans access to more internships, apprenticeships, and job-relevant basic skills education and training in order to move up the career ladder into better-paying jobs that employers across the country are looking to fill.”

The MCC-KC grant is part of a $19.7 million statewide grant to Missouri community colleges and the State Technical College of Missouri.

MCC-KC officials said the money would train an estimated 1,900 workers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and expand the state’s ability to collect data about students enrolled in workforce programs.

Mará Rose Williams, mdwilliams@kcstar.com

This story was originally published September 29, 2014 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Two area community colleges receiving millions in federal job-training grants."