JWCC awarded $3 Million for Workforce Development Center expansion
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John Wood Community College was recently notified by the Economic Development Administration that the college has been awarded $3,033,418 to expand the Workforce Development Center located at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy. It is expected the project will begin construction 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.
GREDF President Kyle Moore offered his congratulations on the award and commented that “John Wood is a critical resource in training and equipping the future workforce that will benefit every business in the region and insure the economic vitality of Quincy and Adams County for the next decade and beyond.”
“John Wood Community College in Quincy provides exceptional opportunities for students that prepare them to succeed in our 21st-century workforce,” said Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18). “The important CARES Act funding awarded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will not only strengthen workforce development programs available to JWCC students, but also spur job growth and encourage economic development in Quincy and the surrounding region.”
