October 12, 2011 · Derek

Tacoma Technical Schools Win Governor's Investment in Aerospace Funding

It’s no secret that government and other funding for new projects is hard to come by these days. Those in charge of doling out what money there is face the unenviable challenge of deciding where limited funding can get the best return, and that’s never a simple call to make.

Two recent winners in the search for funds are Clover Park and Bates technical colleges. These two Tacoma area colleges received grants to fund training programs in the in demand aerospace industry. Clover Park and Bates technical colleges will receive funding ($356,000 and $91,229, respectively) that will support programs that train students in aerospace production-related career paths. Grants awarded to other Washington schools ranged between $3,432 and $172,431, making Clover Park’s grant by far the largest slice of the pie.

The schools, which draw their student body mostly from the Tacoma/Pierce County area, offer training programs of less than six months in areas identified as in need by Boeing. This means that students from the Tacoma area will have improved access to programs designed to get them to work now, and set up for careers listed as in demand in Pierce County by the Washington State Employment Security Department.