Hawkeye Community College receives $1.5 million grant for employment training program

Hawkeye Community College will expand its efforts to lower barriers to employment with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The YouthBuild grant, developed by the Department of Labor to strengthen the U.S. workforce through apprenticeships and other training for young workers, will be put toward the college’s WE Build program, according to a news release. YouthBuild grants totaling $98 million were provided to 72 organizations.

The WE Build program provides training in skills including team building, interviewing, resume writing and personal development, as well as career counseling in the construction industry. Participants also receive construction training through a pre-apprenticeship program in which they construct or rehabilitate a home which will later be sold to a low-income family, according to the program’s website.

Hawkeye Community College will utilize the grant dollars to create a new WE Build track, according to the news release, focused on 16-24 year-olds without a high school diploma. An instructor will work in this track to help students earn their high school equivalency, and additional support will be available.

The grant will also go to developing robotics and automation pre-apprenticeship programs, according to the release.

“This grant will greatly enhance our capacity to support young people in our community,” said  Todd Holcomb, President of Hawkeye Community College, in the release. “By expanding the WE Build program, we will equip our youth with high-demand skills and help them earn their high school equivalency, paving the way for better employment opportunities and a stronger workforce for our local employers.”