College Receives $494,114 Grant from Delaware County Workforce Development Board
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • July 18, 2016)—Delaware County Community College, partnering with the Delaware County Workforce Development Board, has received a four-year grant totaling $494,114 to create a series of micro-credentials that align to the College’s advanced manufacturing program. The goal of the project is to develop stackable micro-credentials that demonstrate measurable skill gains and contribute to expanding career pathways for individuals with barriers to employment. The target population for participation will include out-of-school youth, adults with low basic skills and other learners with significant barriers to education and employment.
Designed by the College, the project involves the implementation of micro-credentials that are aligned to standards established by the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS), an organization that represents a stakeholder base of over 6,000 American companies. The purpose of NIMS is to support employers in developing and maintaining a globally competitive workforce. NIMS has developed skill standards for 24 areas covering the breadth of metalworking operations that are essential components of manufacturing in this region and throughout the nation.
Funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Innovation Fund, which supports projects that seek to design evidence-based program strategies to strengthen the American workforce. The overall project is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and represents total funding in the amount of $6 million. In addition to Delaware County Community College’s activities, the project includes six other Pennsylvania community colleges, their respective workforce development boards, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Division of Adult Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
For more information about Delaware County Community College’s program, calls can be directed to Dr. Karen Kozachyn, Dean of Workforce Development and Community Education, at 610-359-5362.
