Southwest Virginia Community College’s Office of Institutional Advancement has announced that the college has received 1.8 million dollars in grant funding awarded through the Department of Labor (DOL).
SVCC competed successfully against 341 other applicants vying for the DOL grant, becoming one of 69 community colleges and community-based institutions across the nation to receive the funds provided under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative. The funding, which is to be used to prepare students for careers in high-growth industries, will be used by Southwest to develop a construction based curriculum.
“This program will provide an opportunity for students to acquire the skills needed to obtain a career in the exciting building trades industry,” said SVCC President Dr. Mark Estepp. “Only two schools in Virginia were awarded the DOL funding, which proves the hard work our Office of Institutional Advancement put into attaining this grant for our students and the college.”
Phyllis Roberts, vice president of institutional advancement for Southwest, worked with Peggy Barber, SVCC dean of engineering, to develop the grant. Roberts also notes that the demand for trained workers in the construction industry is on the rise. “In a recent survey my office conducted with area employers, one hundred percent (100 %) reported a critical shortage of construction workers in the region and an explicit interest in hiring qualified graduates,” said Roberts.
Peggy Barber, dean of the college’s engineering division, also points out that Virginia’s construction industry is seriously outpacing the supply of skilled workers. “There are a dramatic number of construction job openings going unfulfilled each year, with more on the Commonwealth’s horizon,” said Barber. “This grant will provide Southwest’s students with the opportunity to attain the educational training needed to fill jobs desperately needed by construction employers. This funding enables us to offer classes that will supply the background our students need for a lucrative career while filling labor needs across Virginia,” said Barber.
Plans for the DOL funding have Southwest establishing a Construction Academy. “The Academy will provide certificate and degree programs compliant with the accreditation standards of the National Center for Construction Education and Research” said Barber. Larry Hughes, assistant professor for HVAC, will be the Construction Academy Coordinator. Hughes brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position. Hughes stated that “three existing trades programs at SVCC, welding, electrical, and HVAC, will be restructured based on the recommendations of area construction companies and the National Association of Home Builders. In addition, three new certificate programs in masonry, carpentry, and plumbing will be developed with all six programs modeled after the Home Builders Institute Curriculum.”
A pre-apprenticeship certificate program will offer general and introductory courses, as well as specialty courses in each of the six trades programs. Plans include two certificate programs in construction supervision and entrepreneurship to be offered in year three, supplying a career ladder from helper to apprentice to supervisor to entrepreneur.
“In addition, courses will be developed that will emphasize the learning of computer software for construction estimating,” stated Dr. Estepp. “This will help developers, architects, engineers, contractors and others to carefully and precisely project and control the cost of both new building construction and renovation projects.”
Students receiving certifications or degrees through the program will be awarded some very impressive credentials. Depending on the program, successful completion includes certificates of completion from the Home Builders Institute, certification of skills from nationally recognized skills tests, Virginia Registered Apprenticeship certificates and journeyman’s cards, contractor licenses issued by the Virginia Board of Contractors, basic and advanced certificates in multiple trades, a new associate’s degree in Technical Studies, and articulation to a bachelor’s degree.
For additional information, call Peggy Barber or Larry Hughes at 276.964.7555, or email to peggy.barber@sw.edu or larry.hughes@sw.edu.