Awards
CCBC Receives Over $200,000
from the Kathy & Jerry Wood Foundation for Career & Occupational Training
The Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation recently awarded the Community College of Baltimore County’s (CCBC) Division of Continuing Education and Economic Development (CEED) a grant of $230,568 for scholarship support in career and occupational training. The Kathy and Jerry Wood Scholarship Fund will expand educational opportunities to students preparing for middle-skill jobs that require some training beyond high school, but do not require a four-year degree.
Middle-skill jobs represent the largest share of jobs in Maryland – some 47% – and the largest share of future job openings, according to a report by the National Skills Coalition.
In addition to the new jobs that will be created as the economy continues to strengthen, there will be the retirement of baby boomers to keep demand for middle-skill workers high for years to come. Demand for some middle-skill jobs – particularly in the healthcare field – is projected to be as high as 29% through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (2013).
The Kathy & Jerry Wood Scholarship Fund will help provide certificate-seekers in need with not only scholarship support, but an industry-recognized certification they can earn in a relatively short time period. CCBC aims to play a proactive role in meeting industry demand and in helping to strengthen Maryland’s economy and the quality of life for the students the college serves.
“Historically, these jobs were available to workers who simply had a high school diploma, but changes in production and increasingly sophisticated technology now require students to have more education and preparation,” said Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis, President of CCBC. “The Kathy and Jerry Wood Scholarship Fund will help provide certificate-seekers in need with scholarship support and an industry-recognized certification they can earn in a relatively short time period that will provide them with a living wage.”