Press Release
Additional information regarding new programs under way at Northeast Community College in Norfolk:
ETHANOL DEVELOPMENT
Northeast recently was awarded a $60,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Value-Added Agricultural (VAA) grant program. The funds are to be used to develop curriculum and courses leading to an associate’s degree or certificate in ethanol production and management.
The college also received a grant of $1,999,999 through the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants (CBJT) program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The funds will be sued to assist in the development and implementation of ethanol training programs through the Nebraska community college system.
Dr. Bill Path, president of Northeast, said the grant is the largest grant ever received by Northeast.
“When we were putting the grant proposal together, we had nearly $2 million from the grant partners that was readily available,” he said. “I think that was one of the things that was impressive to the Department of Labor when it awarded the grant.”
The grants will lead to training that will include a dual-credit program for high school students, a two-year associate of applied science degree for ethanol production and management (which could be applied to a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college), and several short-term training courses for current ethanol employees.
Chuck Pohlman, dean of agriculture, health and sciences at Northeast, is the project director of the three-year grant.
Sarah Dempsey, vice president of educational services, said the ethanol industry needs employees in a variety of specialties.
“It’s pretty massive, to be real honest,” she said. “They are trying to find the right kind of workforce to get in this system.”
There is an impressive list of partners working to put together the program, including the ethanol board of Nebraska, she said.
It is hoped that the program will be available online so that no matter where people live in the state, they will be able to take advantage of the program.
“We keep getting calls about every other day from people who want to know what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and would we want to be a partner?” she said.
NURSING DIVISION
Northeast has proposed to work with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing on campus.
A new facility would be constructed to house the division as well as Northeast Community College’s two-year nursing program and would be funded with public and private sources.
Initially, the division would need to recruit 10 faculty and an assistant dean.
Once the program reached student capacity, an additional five faculty would be needed for a total of 15 full-time faculty. Projected costs of a 35,000-square-foot-facility are $10.8 million.
“Our partnerships with UNMC to create a new division will be of great benefit to all Northeast Nebraskans,” Path said.
“The big winners will be all the area hospitals and other medical facilities facing work-force shortages in bachelor’s- or graduate-trained nurses. With great anticipation, we embark on this journey with UNMC and look forward to the day when we will open the doors of a new joint nursing facility on the campus of Northeast Community College and contribute to a brighter and healthier future for Northeast Nebraska.”
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
