Nov 17, 2016

Columbia State Receives Mechatronics LEAP 2.0 Grant

(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Nov. 17, 2016) - - - Columbia State Community College recently received the Labor Education Alignment Program 2.0 Grant, which will fund the equipment for the mechatronics accelerated completion program for Maury and Williamson County high school students.

"This is a great opportunity for students, which would not be possible without the funding from this grant," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "This grant will allow us to continue to build upon our partnerships with local schools to provide more opportunities to current high school students."

This program provides a pathway for an accelerated completion of an Associate of Applied Science degree in Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology with an option in Mechatronics. Students will have the opportunity to gain college credit in AiiT and fulfill their high school diploma requirements within the same semester.

"I love that we are partnering with Columbia State," said. Dr. Chris Marczak, Maury County Public Schools director. "This innovative idea will help fill a growing need in our community. This provides a wonderful opportunity for our students."

The grant funding will be used to purchase the training equipment that will be placed at Fairview High School and on-site with Maury County Public Schools.

"We are very thankful for the partnership we have with Columbia State," said Lori Brown, MCPS director of career and technical education. "With the LEAP grant, our students will have a great opportunity in Mechatronics that will prepare students to go into the workforce."

The LEAP 2.0 Grant will also fund the work-based learning experience component of the program. Students will be required to have on-site workforce training to fulfill the degree requirements. The positions will be paid in part by the LEAP 2.0 Grant. The workforce partners include South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, Williamson County Schools, Maury County Public Schools, Nissan, APCOM, AOC Metals, Horn USA, Lasco Products and Southeastern Manufacturing.

The grant awarded nearly $900,000, which will serve approximately 180 students during its timeframe.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.

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(FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Nov. 17, 2016) - - - Columbia State Community College recently received the Labor Education Alignment Program 2.0 Grant, which will fund the equipment for the mechatronics accelerated completion program for Maury and Williamson County high school students.

"This is a great opportunity for students, which would not be possible without the funding from this grant," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "This grant will allow us to continue to build upon our partnerships with local schools to provide more opportunities to current high school students."

This program provides a pathway for an accelerated completion of an Associate of Applied Science degree in Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology with an option in Mechatronics. Students will have the opportunity to gain college credit in AiiT and fulfill their high school diploma requirements within the same semester.

"I'm very excited about the transformative nature of this grant," said Dr. Dearl Lampley, Columbia State dean of science, technology and mathematics. "Students will be able to complete the AiiT program two years earlier than by traditional scheduling. This will prepare them for excellent paying jobs that are in high demand. Research has shown that students enrolled in early completion programs have greater attendance and higher completion rates."

The grant funding will be used to purchase the training equipment that will be placed at Fairview High School and on-site with Maury County Public Schools.

"We're thrilled to partner with Columbia State to expose Fairview High School students to training and careers in mechatronics and advanced manufacturing," said Dr. David Allen, Williamson County Schools executive director of college, career and technical education. "This grant will allow us to put industry-specific, state-of-the-art equipment in our labs to give our students the best training possible."

The LEAP 2.0 Grant will also fund the work-based learning experience component of the program. Students will be required to have on-site workforce training to fulfill the degree requirements. The positions will be paid in part by the LEAP 2.0 Grant. The workforce partners include South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, Williamson County Schools, Maury County Public Schools, Nissan, APCOM, AOC Metals, Horn USA, Lasco Products and Southeastern Manufacturing.

The grant awarded nearly $900,000, which will serve approximately 180 students during its timeframe.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.

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