MCC Launches State-funded Logistics Training

A workforce development grant that Gov. Jay Nixon announced last spring is coming to fruition this week as Metropolitan Community College launches the first of a series of pilot training programs.

The Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) course is part of the governor’s Training for Tomorrow initiative, a program launched in January to educate Missourians for careers in growing industries. In conjunction with Buchanan, Cass and Platte counties, MCC received the first grant awarded as part of the state-wide program, in the amount of $2.22 million.

The CLA course addresses the growing workforce needs of the local and regional transportation and logistics industry.

“This training is essential for our area,” said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “The demand for logistics specialists, especially entry-level workers, will continue to grow as Kansas City maintains its position as a major transportation hub.”

A second, more-advanced course in Certified Logistics Technician is slated to be piloted in January. Additional courses in supply chain integration and courses in healthcare, animal health and small business operations are under development. MCC will roll out more than 25 courses over the next two years. These courses are being coordinated by the MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation.

The CLA course is designed to train both incumbent logistics workers who need skills enhancement and entry-level workers new to the industry. Participants enrolled in this week’s pilot course include workers from Smith Electric Vehicles, Pure Fishing, InnovaPrep, and several other Kansas City area manufacturers, as well as individuals from other industries who have recently been laid off.

The pilot, which is being offered at no cost to participants, will be held Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Platte County Resource Center, 11724 NW Plaza Circle, Kansas City, Mo. 64153.

MCC receives $2.2 million grant

At a press conference held at MCC-Maple Woods on Wednesday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon announced a $2.2 million grant that will be given to MCC as part of the state’s Training for Tomorrow initiative. The grant, funded by the Department of Economic Development, will cover curriculum development for both new and existing programs in four areas: animal health, supply chain integration, healthcare and small business operations.

The Training for Tomorrow funding, intended to help community colleges grow and create programs that will prepare students for jobs in high-demand fields, was open to community colleges across the state. MCC’s request was coordinated in partnership with a coalition of leaders from Cass, Platte and Buchanan counties, the local counties that were eligible for the funding.

Planning and development for the new programs is already underway. Over the next two years, more than 20 credit and non-credit courses, certificates and degree programs will be created across the district. Pat Lees, coordinator of the grant and manager of special projects for the Institute for Workforce Innovation, anticipates working with every campus on this project.

"We will be working together to develop the new curricula and grow some of our existing programs," said Lees. "This funding gives us the opportunity to create programs in emerging fields, like those that can serve the rapidly-growing businesses in the logistics industry and the Animal Health Corridor, as well as in existing in-demand fields, like nursing and allied health."
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