Three Rivers to receive $2.75 million grant

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three Rivers College has been awarded a $2.75 million Department of Labor grant aimed at improving workforce development education in Southeast Missouri. The grant is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants Program, which provides funding to help two-year higher educational institutions in creating job skills training programs targeted at area-specific needs.

The college will use the funding to develop comprehensive advanced manufacturing, advanced welding and precision agriculture programs. The new programs will include "stackable" certificates and credentials that can be earned singly, or together to build toward one of two new associate of applied sciences degrees Three Rivers will offer.

The Advanced Manufacturing programs created with the grant funding include certified production technician certification and the American Welding Society's Certified Welder certification, which also can be taken together as the core of a proposed associate degree in production welding. The college also plans to offer training in robotics as a stand-alone and part of the degree program.

Offerings planned in precision agriculture include ag applicator, telemetry and equipment operations certificates. As with the manufacturing/welding courses, these will be available as separate modules that can be stacked to lead to an associate of applied science degree in agricultural geospatial technology.

The college also plans to use the funds to expand its transfer articulation agreements with other colleges and universities. The planned agreements would create seamless transfer possibilities to students seeking manufacturing- and agriculture-related degrees at those schools, including bachelor of science in agribusiness, engineering technology, industrial technology and computer systems, among others.

Coordinator of Media Services Jonathan Atwood said this is the largest grant Three Rivers has received. The largest previous record grant was a $1.9 million Title III award to revamp what were called its developmental courses.

Atwood said the school received help from Gov. Jay Nixon, Agriculture Secretary Jon Hagler, U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and other lawmakers in obtaining the grant.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639