IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANNANDALE, Va., - Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) was awarded $4,999,980 to create apprenticeship opportunities across two key industry sectors – semiconductor technology and data center operations.
Awarded Grants:
- $3,999,980 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Apprenticeship Building America program
- $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its ExLENT initiative
“NOVA is grateful to receive these substantial awards, which signal confidence in our regional leadership. These funds will be used to create new pathways into our regional technology workforce. The apprenticeships will allow individuals to earn while they earn. Also, apprenticeships represent a great business model, providing industry-specific training for new employees and individuals looking to reskill to advance their careers,” said NOVA President Anne M. Kress.
The aim of the grants is to offer supportive services, raise awareness of and provide access to high-wage careers in in-demand fields in Northern Virginia and recruit diverse talent from underserved populations.
Central to this initiative is NOVA’s newly created Engineering Technology (ET) Career Scholars Program, an education-aligned pre-apprenticeship designed to expand regional access to Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in the semiconductor and data center industries.
Dr. Chad Knights, NOVA’s VP of Information and Engineering Technologies and College Computing, said, “The DOL and NSF ExLENT grants are a direct result of our long-standing industry partnerships. Our collaboration with Micron Technology gave NOVA the vision to seek grants supporting Engineer Technician (ET) apprenticeships in Northern Virginia. We then saw the opportunity to bring in the data center industry to strengthen and better serve our entire ET community."
NOVA’s lead partners in this latest effort are Micron Technology, the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory chips with a fabrication plant in Manassas, and Iron Mountain, an American-based global data center provider with centers in Manassas.
NOVA Engineering Technology Career Scholars (ETCS) Program:
- Pre-apprenticeship program feeds into RAPs
- Provides wrap-around support services, mentoring and career preparation
- Provides students with critical operations experience during classroom instruction
- Creates a sustainable pathway for high-tech careers
ETCS program: Yearlong Scholarship for graduating high school students
- NOVA works with regional school district partners in recruiting high school graduates from underrepresented minority communities.
- Recruited students will attend NOVA full-time for one academic year to earn their career studies certificate (CSC) in engineering technology (ET).
- While earning their CSC, students will complete part-time, on-the-job training through internship rotations at Micron Technology and a data center partner.
- After ET Career Scholars Program completion, students will receive priority recruitment for Micron’s apprenticeship program in Manassas.
- ET Career Scholars apprentices will be prepared to continue earning their ET A.A.S. degree while at Micron, placing them in a higher wage bracket and improving their earning potential.
Learn more about NOVA’s Engineering Technology Career Scholars program or NOVA’s Data Center Operations program.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Parkinson, NOVA PIO, KParkinson@nvcc.edu
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About Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)
Northern Virginia Community College is the largest public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America’s largest community colleges. NOVA enrolls more than 70,000 students at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge and through NOVA Online. For more information about NOVA and its programs or services, call 703-323-3000 or visit NOVA’s website.