Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $150,000 for Hagerstown Community College
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced $150,000 in federal funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the Hagerstown Community College Energy and Trades Training Center. This funding will allow the College to purchase workforce training equipment and technology for the newly-constructed Center, which will in turn provide hands-on experience for students enrolled in the Alternative Energy Technology and Industrial and Engineering Technology programs. Through these programs, the College will better prepare students for good-paying jobs in the energy technology and building trades sectors and create a pool of skilled workers to meet Western Maryland’s workforce demands, promoting local business growth and economic development.
In addition to ARC funds, local sources will provide $153,014 in matching funds, bringing the total project funding to $303,014.
“This investment will help provide students at Hagerstown Community College with hands-on training to develop the skills they need to compete in the 21st century workforce and open new doors of opportunity,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “In my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue fighting to support investment in ARC to strengthen our workforce and our economy.”
“This federal investment in our college students will help ensure that the next generation has the technical knowledge and skills to compete in this increasingly STEM-oriented economy,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Maryland needs more science, technology, engineering and math professionals to help our economy excel in the global marketplace. I’m grateful for programs like those at Hagerstown Community College Energy and Trades Training Center, because they inspire our students to pursue those STEM fields – benefiting both their own career prospects and our state as a whole. This is precisely the kind of federal investment we should be making in all our students.”
ARC is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Established by Congress in 1965, ARC is comprised of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the President. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts. Senators Cardin and Van Hollen advocated for and secured significant funding for the program in the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Development, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding legislation, enacted on September 21, 2018.
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