career coaching and program development.
(Photo courtesy HCC)
By Eric Stock and Greg Halbleib
NORMAL – Heartland Community College is teaming up with State Farm to better prepare students to enter the workforce.
State Farm is giving Heartland a $383,000 grant that the school plans to use for career training, career coaching and program development.
Heartland President Rob Widmer said the grant enables the school to enhance its role in B-N Advantage, the local economic development partnership that aims to attract and train a strong local workforce.
“Any opportunities for individuals throughout the community to enhance their skill sets, make opportunities available to them to do that, that’s really what we are about,” Widmer said. “One of our key functions as an educational institution is to help develop our local workforce.”
Widmer added the college will be able to offer more short-term certificates for programs including phlebotomy, certified nursing assistants, truck driver training and pharmacy technician training.
The State Farm Cos. Foundation Board is providing the grant over two years.
“For years, State Farm has proudly maintained strong relationships with our local educational institutions, including Heartland Community College,” said State Farm Vice-President of Human Resources, Annette Martinez. “This is our latest effort to help support the professional and educational needs of our community and make a sustained, positive difference in the lives of our neighbors in the Bloomington-Normal area.”
The grant will begin to be applied at the start of the fall semester.
“The programs supported by these grant dollars are all about moving students into the workforce,” said Chris Downing, Executive Director of the Heartland Foundation. “State Farm’s commitment to Heartland is an investment in not only Heartland Community College, but also in the most valuable resource any employer needs – skilled people.”
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
