Economic Development Administration Awards JWCC a $3M Investment Grant for Expansion of the Workforce Development Center
In June 2020, the JWCC learned of an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant that was part of the federal stimulus package. The College worked through a lengthy grant application process, responding to multiple requests for more information about the College and the project. In June of 2021, the College was notified by EDA the grant application was awarded at the investment amount of $3,033,418. The funding will be used for the expansion project at the Workforce Development Center located at 4220 Kochs Lane, Quincy. The project will be moving forward in late 2021.
“After a year-long Campus Master Planning process, John Wood Community College’s number one capital project was the expansion of our Workforce Development Center,” JWCC President Michael Elbe said. “We continue to make investments for workforce training in the areas of manufacturing, agriculture, transportation/logistics, health sciences and many other career technical programs. The College is expanding our career education programs, and these training programs all require physical space to conduct hands-on training. Leveraging these federal grant dollars is an excellent opportunity to provide expansion of programs and facilities for this region to support the workforce needs of the Tri-State area.”
Elbe shared, “We are honored and grateful for the investment from the Economic Development Administration and to our local, state and federal legislators and community business partners who supported this project.”
The EDA investment will establish space for the new Automation and Robotics and Automotive Diesel Technology training programs, create a new Truck Driver Training area, and expand other existing training programs. Once completed, the project will provide relevant skills in the most in-demand fields to the area’s workforce, assisting the region with recovery efforts from the COVD-19 pandemic, creating and retaining jobs, attracting private investment, and strengthening resiliency throughout the region.
