U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announces $4.2M for Lakeland Community College
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Oct. 9—U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, recently announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration is awarding a $4.2 million grant to renovate Lakeland Community College's Industrial Skills Training Center for Advanced Manufacturing.
"Ohio has a proud history of leading the country in manufacturing innovation....(and) we're building on that legacy by making new investments in Lakeland Community College to train the next generation of Ohio advanced manufacturers," Brown stated in a news release.
"We know Ohio workers can compete with anyone in the world, and this will allow more Ohioans to build careers in good-paying jobs."
According to officials, the grant will help to diversify the local economy by expanding training opportunities for students in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties to prepare them for good-paying jobs, and to provide the skilled workers that local employers need.
The investment will be matched with $3.1 million in local funds and is expected to create 300 jobs, retain 243 jobs and generate $5 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
The Economic Development Administration's University Center program is a competitively-based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the resources of universities available to the economic development leaders, the release stated.
The EDA is the only federal government agency focused exclusively on economic development. The program is designed to provide financial assistance to communities and promote economic development.
Grants are awarded through a competitive process based on application merit, an applicant's eligibility, and the availability of funds.
"Lakeland's mission is to meet the needs of the community — this grant will allow us to do exactly that by building a stronger workforce for Northeast Ohio," said Lakeland President Morris W. Beverage Jr. "Being that Lakeland is a critical provider of education and job training, these funds will have a tremendous impact not only for our students but for our area employers.
"Advanced manufacturing jobs are in high demand locally and expanding our training opportunities will prepare more students with the skills needed to fill these positions," he added. "We are grateful the EDA recognizes and supports these efforts."
