(Estherville)– Iowa Lakes Community College is the recipient of a nearly $2 million grant through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Training and Assessment Centers expansion initiative. Jeff Soole, Dean of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Training at Iowa Lakes says it will allow them to enhance their industrial training programs…
“Those programs are welding technology, wind energy and turbine technology, engineering technology and electrical technology. We’ll use that money to update the labs. We’re going to be building a substation at our Estherville facility, updating some of our robotics equipment and building a mobile welding lab here in Emmetsburg to assist with our business partners and training their students as well.”
Soole says it also provides funds for scholarships…
“The grant is for three years and each year we will be able to offer eight three thousand dollar scholarships, so 24 total scholarships at three thousand dollars a piece over three years.”
Soole says they are currently getting quotes for the new equipment…
“But I would say within the first quarter of 2025 we will have some curriculum and some new material for the program to operate.”
Iowa Lakes Community College was one of a select group of institutions selected for the grant.
