YVC Awarded Job Skills Program (JSP) Grants from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges totaling $736,426

Yakima, WA – Yakima Valley College is excited to announce that the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) just approved Job Skills Program (JSP) grants to help continue to improve employee skills in our community. The grants awarded for McClarin Plastics ($381,206) and Shields ($355,220) total $736,426 and will help each organization provide necessary training to employees. These two organizations employ a combined 800+ workers in the Yakima Valley.

Both organizations reached out to YVC and the SBCTC about starting a program to help improve their employees’ skills. The training is made possible by a Job Skills Program (JSP) Grant from the SBCTC. The JSP provides funding to licensed educational institutions in Washington and provides half of the training cost; partner employers provide a cash or in-kind match to fund the other half. Funds are awarded on a first-approved, rolling basis throughout the fiscal year. Training topics include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, writing professional emails, letters, and memos, leadership, teambuilding, coaching, conflict resolution, and active shooter response training.

“JSP grants stem from Washington State legislation that strongly encourages a cooperative relationship between businesses, industry and educational institutions,” stated YVC Director of WorkFirst Lonni Rodriguez-Funk. “YVC has a great opportunity to partner with different companies throughout the Yakima Valley who are looking to train new employees, when their businesses open or expand, to retrain in order to prevent dislocation of its workers, and upgrade training which could enable employees to be promoted and create job openings at the same time,” she continued.

For more information about YVC’s JSP programs visit: www.yvcc.edu/ccc.

Press Release Contacts:
Jay Frank / 509.574.6870 / jfrank@yvcc.edu
Stefanie Menard / 509.574.4646 / smenard@yvcc.edu