Maricopa Community Colleges to Train Workers through Walmart Brighter Futures Grant
Tempe, AZ (PRWEB) October 23, 2013 -- The Maricopa County Community College District has been chosen as one of 12 community colleges and districts in the country to participate in the Walmart Brighter Futures 2.0 Project.
The $3.5 million grant – given to MCCCD through the League for Innovation in the Community College (League) – will help train lower-income, lower-skill adults transition to middle-skill, higher-wage jobs over the next two-and-a-half years.
Participants will also gain confidence that they’ve acquired the skills employers want, allowing them to document those skills and communicate them effectively to employers. In announcing the grants, League President and CEO, Dr. Gerardo E. de los Santos, expressed confidence that the Walmart Brighter Futures project will have a profound and positive impact beyond the 12 colleges.
“As with an earlier project funded by the Walmart Foundation, Brighter Futures 2.0 will lead to best practices that will expand the capacity of community colleges to enhance middle-skill job training opportunities,” said de los Santos. He added that the League will widely disseminate best practices and lessons learned from the project.
Through the project, each selected community college and district will receive up to $233,333 to provide job training and career counseling.
Each participant will be taught how to conduct a proper job search, write a résumé, and prepare for interviews.
“We appreciate the generosity of the Walmart Foundation and the League’s assistance in making this work possible,” said Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Rufus Glasper.
“Maricopa’s Rio Salado College, South Mountain Community College, Maricopa Skill Center and Southwest Skill Center will use a collaborative approach to train people so they can move toward financial self-sufficiency.”
“The Walmart Foundation supports programs that provide people with ways to improve their lives through skills training, job readiness, job placement and support services,” says Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. “We are proud to continue our work with the League for Innovation and expect to help 9,000 workers gain the skills they need for today’s job market through this continued effort.”
Other community colleges funded were Anne Arundel Community College (MD); Central Piedmont Community College (NC); Cuyahoga Community College (OH); Delta College (MI); El Centro College, the Dallas County Community College District (TX); Kirkwood Community College (IA); Miami Dade College (FL); Moraine Valley Community College (IL); Santa Fe College (FL); Seattle Community Colleges (WA); and, Sinclair Community College (OH).
The Maricopa Community College system includes 10 colleges – Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale and South Mountain. It also includes the Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center, and several satellite campuses and business, industry, technical and customized training institutes.
The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international organization dedicated to catalyzing the community college movement.
The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops web resources, conducts research, produces publications, provides services, and leads projects and initiatives with more than 800 member colleges, 160 corporate partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to make a positive difference for students and communities.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Healthy
Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than one billion meals to those in need across the country.
Andrew Tucker, Maricopa Community Colleges, http://celebrate.maricopa.edu/, +1 (480) 731-8503, [email protected]
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