Three Rivers to Receive MoSTEMWINS Grant

Three Rivers College has been awarded a $660,000 "MoSTEMWINS" grant from the Department of Labor aimed at expanding partnerships between local employers and the college to provide job training. The grant was obtained in partnership with 2-year institutions across the state through a consortium headed by the Missouri Community College Association and the State Technical College of Missouri.

Three Rivers will use the funding to purchase assessment and training equipment for mechanical and electrical skills, programmable logic and computer numeric controllers, and process control technology. The new equipment will be integrated into the college's Industrial Technology programs, as well as used to enhance the Advanced Manufacturing programs created with part of a $2.75 million Department of Labor grant the college received in 2013.

"Three Rivers is highly committed to helping our local workforce develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, and this grant will help give us the extra resources needed to do that," said Dr. Brenda Russell, Dean of Career Education and Workforce Development at Three Rivers. "Training equipment for these fields is extremely expensive, so this grant allows us to purchase tools that the institution would otherwise not be able to afford."

In addition to using the grant funding to enhance its career education classes, Three Rivers plans to work in partnership with Poplar Bluff Industries, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, and the South Central Workforce Investment Board, as well as Briggs & Stratton, Unilever, SRG Global, and other industries to assess skill levels of employees and deliver training to meet the needs of the workforce. Three Rivers will also serve as a provider of specialized training to local manufacturers, based on the needs identified by skills assesments.

"We're pleased to be able to continue our history of working with local employers to improve the economy through these grants," said Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers. "One of the greatest benefits to an economy is the presence of accessible higher education in a region, and we're proud to be part of that continuing development."

MoSTEMWINS is the third in a series of grants awarded by the Department of Labor to help bolster Missouri's economy as part of its Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program. Previous Missouri-focused programs include the MoManufacturingWINS and MoHealthWINS grants, awarded in 2011 and 2012, respectively. According to the Missouri Community College Association, nearly 5,500 Missourians have received training through the prior two grants, over 50 percent of whom were unemployed when they began the grant-funded programs.

Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.