The E.L. Cord Foundation grant will help to convert this patio space, more than doubling the lab current space available to Western Nevada College applied industrial technology students.
The E.L. Cord Foundation, a Reno-based philanthropic organization has provided the Western Nevada College Foundation a $50,000 gift to fund the renovation of the College’s Applied Industrial Technology lab to support advanced studies in robotics, automation and controls.
“Western Nevada College’s industrial technology program is a perfect fit for the E. L. Cord Foundation,” said Joseph Bradley, senior trustee for the foundation. “We have an on-going interest in educating future members of the workforce, especially to meet the growing needs of our expanding technology base in Nevada with companies like Tesla and Switch coming in.”
The expansion and relocation of high-tech industries in and to Nevada requires a local, nationally-certified pool of candidates to fill new growth needs and to provide re-training opportunities for incumbent workers.
The WNC Industrial program is targeting new and unfilled positions in manufacturing for middle-skilled workers. These middle-skilled jobs require college coursework and industry-recognized certification without a four-year degree.
“The E.L. Cord Foundation gift allows the college to produce a stable credentialed workforce specifically by training and transitioning industrial technicians into employment.” said Katie Leao, executive director of WNCF. “WNC is keenly focusing on what is most important — serving students and communities by promoting college success, and by preparing Nevadans for careers that will meet the growing need for a skilled workforce.”
Information on contributing to the Western Nevada College Foundation’s efforts to continue to improve and expand the AIT program can be found at http://www.wnc.edu/foundation/.
