Colleges will receive much-needed funds from a Labor Department program, which works closely with businesses to fill work force gaps.

For some Hispanic-serving institutions, the key to winning grants at the federal level is building strong local relationships that foster partnerships and “out-ofthe- box” thinking about new and innovative services.

The trend is evident at seven HSIs that just won grants of $500,000 to $2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor for expanded work force development efforts. These community colleges are among several dozen new winners of Community-Based Job Training Grants designed to spur employment and local economic growth.

“It’s very difficult for a small company to send these people 40 miles to our college,” says John Vukich, business and industry work force training manager at Pueblo Community College in Pueblo, Colo., which won a $1.9 million grant. “With a mobile lab, we can bring it right to a remote site.”

The college currently offers a mobile learning lab to teach welding to six students at a time. The new grant would broaden that effort with three more mobile labs focused on mechanical, electrical and manufacturing systems.

“We’re very engaged with the business community. We participate in business roundtables, and we know they often can’t find enough skilled workers,” he says. “This helps us stay focused.”

The grant will support new associate degree programs as well as shorter-term, specific training, Vukich tells Diverse. A flexible competency-based program model will allow students to work toward various certifications as well as degrees.

Established relationships with business leaders helped drive the grant development process.

“You want to do the right thing for your community,” he says.

South Plains College also is pushing new strategies, in this case for health care. With a $1.6 million grant, the Levelland, Texas, school will develop a clinical simulation center where health care professionals can receive real-world training for the field.