CENTRALIA — The federal government has awarded Centralia College’s Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy along with two other Centers of Excellence and eight community colleges nearly $10 million to give students the skills they need for careers currently in demand.
The money will go to a project called Washington Integrated Sector Employment aimed at giving entry-level training in clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing. It will involve eight community and technical colleges, five workforce investment boards, the Washington State Labor Council and several private employers.
Announced from the office of Vice President Joe Biden, the money is just some of the $450 million given to almost 270 community colleges nationwide as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training competitive grant program.
The money comes in the fourth and final round of the of the program, which was created in 2009 and is co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education. The program has given nearly $2 billion in grants in total.
More than 400 employers nationwide are partnering with schools to teach skills in information technology, medical care, energy and advanced manufacturing.
