About 4,000 fewer Missourians were on payrolls last month, compared to August of last year, according to new labor stats. But Governor Jay Nixon and community colleges across the state hope to better equip those in search of jobs with new skills that will get them employed.
By Elana Gordon (Kansas City, Mo.)
Nixon joined business and education leaders at Kansas City’s community college Thursday to celebrate a new 20 million dollar federal grant, aimed at training more than 4,000 Missourians in health services fields.
Nixon toured Metropolitan Community College’s virtual hospital, and met with an 8-year old cystic fibrosis ‘patient.’
“You’re going to get better aren’t you?” asked Nixon.
“Hope so,” said patient Simone Jones.
Simone Jones is actually a robot students tend to during their health care training. Nixon said this new grant gives community colleges across the state a chance to fill an important niche, and ensure there’s care for patients like Jones in the real world.
“There are health care jobs out there in areas we’re talking about expanding training, there are dollars to offset the costs of tuition and other costs,” said Nixon.
Community colleges will use the funds to create new courses in evolving, growing fields like health information technology, and offer such trainings outside what’s often a burdensome, rigid semester schedule for underemployed adults.