State Fair Community College celebrated #GivingTuesday (December 3) by announcing the college, in a partnership with the city of Sedalia, has been awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, as part of the Workforce Training Initiative.
A news release says the ceremony featured a speech from Missouri Governor Mike Parson and concluded with the announcement of a significant donation from the family of the late Olen Howard. That donation, along with the CDBG grant, will help fund construction of the college’s new Workforce Innovation Center, which will be built on the east side of the Sedalia campus- the original site of the college’s first building – “Plywood U.”
The center will more than double the college’s capacity in precision machining and welding, and expand other programs such as industrial maintenance, robotics, logistics, leadership/supervisory skills, and apprenticeships.
In addition to the CDBG grant, the college also has received $250,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits, to help fund construction of the new center.
The Workforce Training Initiative helps provide quality job-training opportunities through nonprofit organizations, local governments, community colleges, public technical colleges and public universities. These programs will increase access to training to underserved areas and benefit 860 persons of low and moderate income.
The center will be named the Olen Howard Workforce Training Center. Howard is a former Sedalia resident.
SFCC Foundation Board of Directors’ President Joe Fischer announced the donation as one of the largest in the foundation’s history; and introduced Howard’s daughters, Darlene Bradbury and Shirley Rowden.
Construction of the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center is scheduled to begin in 2020.