09.25.13

Delegation Announces $2.7 Million Job Training, Placement Grant for NDSCS

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer today announced that the North Dakota Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Initiative (NDAMSTI), led by the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), has been awarded a $2.7 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The TAACCCT program supports partnerships between training providers, such as two-year colleges, and local employers to promote skills development and employment opportunities in fields such as advanced manufacturing, transportation and health care, as well as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. In June, Hoeven and Heitkamp sent letters to the Department in support of NDSCS’ application.

NDAMSTI will have courses in manufacturing delivered in formats that allow for greater flexibility by developing online modules that allow students to complete course theory anytime, anywhere thus reducing the amount of time committed to on-campus instruction. By working with employers to upgrade employee skills, individuals can work towards a degree and remain employed full time. NDSCS will deliver focused, hands-on instruction in short courses with the skills learning reinforced through practical application on-the-job.

“Partnerships between higher education and industry, like those forged by NDSCS, help ensure that our state’s students get the results they need from their education, while providing the skilled workers our businesses need to grow and provide the best products and services,” the delegation said in a joint statement. “We congratulate NDSCS on their successful application and we look forward to their continued and expanded efforts to provide valuable training and skills for North Dakotans.”

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Hoeven has worked to provide funds for STEM education programs that help place America’s graduates in good, high-wage jobs, supporting economic growth and helping America compete in the modern, global economy.

Heitkamp is an ardent supporter of STEM education programs because she has seen firsthand how successful they are at providing high-skilled workers for North Dakota’s economy. She also supports trade adjustment programs to help North Dakota workers retrain for jobs that are in demand in the state.

Cramer has taken action to strengthen STEM education, voting for the Student Success Act and the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act. The SKILLS Act offers postsecondary training dollars better aligned with workforce demand. He serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, which holds regular hearings to further STEM priorities.