Patrick & Henry Community College will receive $196,269 to expand its heating, ventilation and air conditioning training program, including development of a mobile training unit that can take instruction to locations throughout the college’s service region.
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved the grant during its Sept. 30 meeting in Greensville County as part of a series of investments in workforce education across Southern and Southwest Virginia.
The grant will help P&HCC respond to enrollment growth and employer demand for trained HVAC workers.
Commission funding will be used to purchase HVAC equipment for the college’s newly renovated skilled trades lab on its main campus and to equip a mobile training trailer.
The mobile unit will allow P&HCC to provide HVAC instruction at locations throughout its service area, including satellite campuses and partnering detention centers, where training can be provided to incarcerated individuals.
The college also plans to add advanced certification levels to its HVAC program. The expansion is intended to increase the number of industry credentials awarded each year and prepare more students for jobs in the skilled trades.
The commission also awarded $113,013.71 to the Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, or GRASP, to expand postsecondary advising services into 11 additional high schools in Southwest Virginia.
GRASP advisors work with high school counseling departments to help students and their families navigate financial aid and identify affordable paths to college degrees and career credentials.
The three-year expansion is expected to help an estimated 333 students and families. Commission funding will cover 50% of advisor compensation as well as supplies and equipment associated with the expansion.
The program is intended to help students access postsecondary education while minimizing student debt and to encourage graduates to pursue careers in the region.
Both grants were approved through the commission’s Competitive Education Program, which supports workforce development and education projects intended to prepare residents for in-demand jobs and meet employers’ workforce needs.
“Building a robust economy for Southern and Southwest Virginia requires long-term commitment and I am pleased that at our meetings here in Emporia the Commission has underscored its support for workforce education as well as helping our farmers and producers continue to grow and innovate,” commission Chairman Del. Will Morefield said.
The commission met at Golden Leaf Commons in Greensville County, a multiuse facility focused in part on workforce education. The Tobacco Commission provided funding between 2005 and 2010 to support development of the Southside Virginia Education Center and Golden Leaf Commons.
Commission grants helped fund site acquisition and preparation as well as design, construction and equipment for the facilities.
The commission also approved other projects during the meeting, including a loan supporting redevelopment of the John Randolph Hotel in South Boston and the launch of AgVision, a new agricultural cost-share program.
