Dr. Richie McAlister, standing left, associate vice president for workforce education; Lara Collum, Practical Nursing Program coordinator, and Lucy Morgan, seated, workforce project manager, explore the details in the workforce training grant.

    Meridian Community College has been selected to receive nearly $900,000 to train eligible workers for jobs in Computer Support Technology and Health Information Technology, according to Dr. Scott Elliott, MCC president.

    MCC is partnering with eight other community and technical colleges in Mississippi and Louisiana to provide workforce training through a $14.7 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

    “We are very excited about this award,” MCC President Dr. Scott Elliott said. “Our part of the total grant (nearly $900,000) is a significant amount for a small community college. It will enable MCC to embark upon some new initiatives while also enhancing other facets of our curriculum that are already in place.  

    “The bottom line is that the college will enjoy increased capacity to provide training in some fields in which students will predictably have opportunities to land good entry-level jobs in contemporary high tech environments.”

    Elliott cited health care “informatics” as one example of the kinds of training that can be provided through the grant. He noted that physicians today sometimes employ data entry specialists called “scribes” in hospitals and clinics – jobs that Elliott predicted will be in increasing demand in the months and years ahead.

     Elliott credited MCC Workforce Project Manager Lucy Morgan for spearheading the college’s effort to acquire the grant. He also commended Ken Dupre, assistant dean for community and business development, and Dr. Richie McAlister, associate vice president for workforce education, for their assistance with the project.

    “Lucy did a terrific job in coordinating MCC’s part of the grant submission, and Ken will provide key leadership in the initial implementation phase,” Elliott said. “These federal grants are highly competitive. It’s a big deal when you get one.”

    Specifically, the goal of the grant is to provide state-of-the-art, short-term computer and health information technology training courses that result in nationally-recognized Information Technology (IT) credentials and certifications.

    Students will be able to “stack” these credentials (earn several different certifications), which can make the student more attractive to potential employers. If students decide to apply this short-term training toward a two- year or four-year degree, they can take a skills assessment test to earn college credit for what they have already learned.

    In addition to the modern IT skills training, students will also have the opportunity to upgrade their math, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Also included in the IT core curriculum is a Smart Work Ethics certification course, which focuses on the attributes of a good employee.

    This grant program is mainly designed to train workers who have lost their jobs to foreign competitors, but others eligible for the training include veterans, workers who have been laid off, people who are currently unemployed and underemployed unskilled adults.  

    Applications for this program will be available in late October, and classes are scheduled to begin in January, 2013. More information will be posted in the Workforce Training section at www.meridiancc.edu .