MCC Receives $139,977 in 2015 Credentials to Careers Grants

CAD/CNC operator

MCC received a $13,650 grant in December through the Department of Labor’s (DOL) TAACCCT program to support faculty travel for training on new CAD/CNC equipment, for upgrading existing equipment and student classroom materials.

The recent Credential to Careers grant marks the third received by MCC in 2015 totaling $139,777 for its Applied Technology initiatives. The funds augment a three-year $472,206 grant awarded to MCC through Northern Virginia Community College’s Credentials to Careers $12 million grant award from the DOL in 2013 for a consortium of activities taking place at seven community colleges around the country.

Last April, the College was awarded $85,420 for mechanical drive learning systems in response to requests from local employers that MCC provide students with upgraded and enhanced machine troubleshooting and repair skills.

This specific training on manual mechanical systems – machine elements like gears, pulleys, belts and shafts – allows students to fully grasp the CNC mechanisms. The instruction is paramount to the understanding of how servo drives and linear motors make machines move, while the knowledge is used in numerous technology and advanced manufacturing classes.

In November, MCC received a $40,907 grant for a parapro and a CAD/CNC coordinator. The parapro will provide students with one-on-one demonstrations, observe student performance, offer technical support, and direct student supervision to ensure competency and mastery of skills. The CAD/CNC coordinator will provide connections to local employers, while also offering on-going support for students and monitoring student success.

“Muskegon Community College is thankful for the opportunity to provide enhanced and in-demand skills for students which will help fill the local skills gap,” said Valarie Shelby, the CAD/CNC grant coordinator at MCC.