NICC gets $4.8 million grant

NICC has received a $4,870,648 grant to support its "Skill Up" program, a comprehensive information technology training opportunity in the advanced manufacturing, professional and business services, and healthcare fields in the greater Dubuque area.

The program will provide training for both the employed and unemployed, so that individuals who complete training will gain the skills they need to advance or gain employment in entry-level IT positions.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the funding to NICC through the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Competition. These grants, authorized by the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act, are funded through fees paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B non-immigrant visa program. U.S. Senator Tom Harkin was instrumental in securing the funding for Skill Up, and said the training program will benefit workers and local employers.