The U. S. Department of Labor announced that Haywood Community College has received a $1.7 million grant to update equipment in the natural resources department, to fund seven additional positions, to develop 45 internet courses, and to take five existing HCC degree programs online.

The Community-Based Job Training Grant from the U.S. Labor Department is targeted to help the North Carolina forest industry, including forestry, forest products manufacturing, and wilderness-related tourism and recreation.

The project is called the WNC Forestry Industry Training Initiative and will be directed by Doug Staiger, HCC Division Chair for Natural Resources.

Out of 388 applications only 70 community colleges in 40 states received awards. HCC is the only one in North Carolina.

“This capacity grant enables Haywood Community College to bring its five natural resources degree programs to a 21st century state-of-the-art industry standard and to address the needs of local industry,” said Mike Germano, vice president of Academic Services. “The college needs to expand its infrastructure in forestry, horticulture, pulp and paper technology, fish and wildlife technology, and GIS/GPS (geographic information systems/global positioning systems) technology. This grant allows us to do that and prepare forest industry workers and enable existing forest industry workers to upgrade their skills for forestry industry careers on-line or in traditional classes on campus.”

Vital support for the project comes from community partners, which include the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, Haywood County Schools, Southern Forestry Foundation, USDA Forest Service, the N.C. Division of Forest Resources, Southern Appalachian Multiple-Use Council, and Blue Ridge Paper Products Inc.