“St. Clair County has a place to train workers now,” said Don Smith, executive director of the Economic Development Council. “That’s one of the great benefits of the ICademy. It houses state-of-the-art equipment for these programs.”
Friday night students from the ICademy Prep program were presented Certificates of Completions at Jefferson State Community College in Pell City.
Six women were recognized after they finished their training as home health aides, the third fasting growing occupations in the country, said Christine McLain, a career counselor for the ICademy Prep program.
Officials say the St. Clair County ICademy program helped secure grants so these six woman and others could receive training for the changing job market.
Seven students, who graduated from a welding training program, were also recognized Friday and commended for their work.
“It has been a sacrifice,” McLain told students and their families at the awards program. “We’re here to honor them and reward them for their work.”
McLain said two other individuals finished level two training in manufacturing work and will also receive certificates.
Officials say the programs these women and men completed were funded by a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The grant was made available with stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and because St. Clair County had an ICademy in place, some of that grant money was funneled to Jefferson State Community College in Pell City.
The one-time grant provided funds for basic skills training to dislocated workers and under employed adult workers in St. Clair County, McLain said.
Smith said the grant would have been impossible to tap into if the ICademy program and its 8,000 square foot facility had not been in place.
“This is the dream,” Smith said. “The dream is not just having a building with equipment, but utilizing it for the betterment of St. Clair County workers and students.”
St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon said he is happy to see the ICademy program off to such a good start.
He said the ICademy Prep program was to help retrain workers because of the economy and changes in workforce requirements.
Officials say the ICademy Prep program is a one-time program funded by U.S. Department of Labor grant — but many students who completed the program now say they are going to continue their education.
“The hardest step was walking through that front door,” McLain said.
The ICademy Prep program began Jan. 11, shortly after the construction of the ICademy facility was completed.
Unlike the ICademy Prep program, which lasted 12 weeks, the regular ICademy program is an ongoing duel enrollment program for high school students, where they can get college credit while attending high school.
“This program is one of the first in the state to capitalize on a partnership between workforce development and the two-year college system,” Batemon said. “We all have high expectations and confidence the St. Clair County ICademy program will lead the way for workforce development in Alabama.”
State and local officials broke ground on the new ICademy facility about one year ago, after the Alabama Office of Workforce Development helped secure a $250,000 grant to help start up the ICademy program. The St. Clair County Commission contributed another $200,000 as startup money for a duel enrollment program for high school students.
The facility is also used to train workers for new jobs in St. Clair County.
The ICademy facility is owned by the St. Clair County Industrial Development Board, which leases the building out to Jefferson State Community College, which trains students for jobs.
Batemon said the ICademy prepares high school students to go out into the workforce after high school graduation or for college.
“We feel like many students go straight into the workforce, but others may continue their education and become engineers, nurses and doctors through the ICademy program,” Batemon said.
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