Ken Myers, Construction Technology Management faculty at CCC, works with students in the Fourth Street workshop in Flagstaff, , which will be getting a makeover with the help of a $1 million grant from the Del E. Webb Foundation. Courtesy photo
FLAGSTAFF — Thanks to a $1 million grant awarded last week from the Del E. Webb Foundation, Coconino Community College’s Construction Technology Management program will be getting a makeover to help the College meet construction industry demands in the county for skilled trade workers.
CCC President Colleen Smith said, “The news about the grant to enhance our construction program will mean so much to our students and employers in our region. Our communities have been sharing with us the need for a trained workforce in various areas, and the construction industry is at the top of the list.”
“The Del E. Webb Foundation was honored to give this award to the Coconino Community College construction and mechanical trades program,” said Dr. John B. Lees, president of the Del E. Webb Foundation board. “We feel this project will provide long-term benefit by meeting a critical need, not only in the community but in all of northern Arizona as well.”
The funding, to be received by the CCC Foundation, will serve several purposes: Renovate the current Construction Technology Management facility at CCC’s Fourth Street campus; expand existing CTM classes; and add in-demand programs like Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) Technology, Welding Technology, Electrical Technology, Solar and Wind Technology and Electronic Drafting.
The ultimate goal is to increase the number of degree and certificate earners in the construction trades from an average of 30 students to 94 students over a three-year period. This is in response to growing demand in the industry, according to the Department of Labor Statistics, and a growing number of northern Arizona contractors citing shortages in the local skilled workforce.
Smith said that CCC will continue to support educational opportunities for all our communities in northern Arizona, including Williams, Page, Tusayan and Flagstaff.
“We have amazing faculty, and we are excited we get to further develop our construction program and provide them the resources so that they can serve more students,” Smith added.
Del. E. Webb was a building contractor best known for his Sun City “retirement community” design. At one time, his company was one of the largest operating in the United States. The Del E. Webb Foundation was created in 1960 with the mission to “invest in productivity that results in long-term benefits” and the vision to invest in “results-based programs that will impact the future of our society by allowing it to reach its maximum potential.” The Foundation distributes millions of dollars annually to institutions throughout Arizona, California and Nevada.
For more information about CCC and all programs, degrees and certificates available, visit www.coconino.edu. For more information about the Del E. Webb Foundation, visit www.dewf.org.
About Coconino Community College: CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.