COLLEGE RECEIVES FUNDS TO HELP PAY FOR NEW TRAINING HUB IN THE WEST PHILLY PROMISE ZONE

Contact: Linda Wallace, 215-751-8082, liswallace@ccp.edu
Rhonda L. Lipschutz, 215-751-8021, rlipschutz@ccp.edu

PHILADELPHIA, PA., Jan. 3, 2018 – Community College of Philadelphia will receive $1.25 million in state funding to begin the transformation of its West Philadelphia Regional Center into a destination site for career, technical and transportation training.

“This recently announced grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) will help the College create an employment hub that prepares Philadelphians for jobs that pay and offers convenience,” said Dr. Donald Guy Generals, president of the College. “Our students are in high-demand across the region, with many in automotive technology getting jobs long before they graduate. The proposed construction of a career and technical training facility is especially noteworthy because it provides a fast-track to employment within the West Philadelphia Promise Zone.”

According to Dr. Generals, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) spearheaded the effort by committing a very large amount of the grant. In addition, Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila.), added funds in this RACP award and State Rep. James R. Roebuck (D-Phila.) supported the grant. “The College is especially grateful to them for delivering these funds and for their dedication to ongoing efforts to provide quality, in-demand training opportunities that transform lives and strengthen neighborhoods.”

The grant enables the College to move forward with plans to expand its automotive technology program, which is filled to capacity and has a graduate placement rate of nearly 100 percent. Last year, the College purchased .63 acres of land adjacent to the current Automotive Technology facility where the new, state-of the-art training facility will be built. In addition to the automotive tech program, which will nearly double its enrollment capacity, the new building will eventually house other in-demand career and technical training programs. The project cost is estimated at $21 million, which the College will seek to cover through both public and private funds.

 

 

 

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