Duckworth discusses investments in workforce development at Southwestern Illinois College

GRANITE CITY — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with the President of Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), Dr. Georgia Costello, and other college leaders and students while touring SWIC’s Sam Wolf Granite City Campus. Together, they discussed SWIC’s workforce development programs and legislation Senator Duckworth helped introduce, the Community College to Career Fund Act (CC2C), which would encourage companies and community colleges to develop workforce training programs to close the “skills gap” by better preparing students for careers in high-demand industries like manufacturing, healthcare, clean energy and information technology. 

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“Community colleges serve all kinds of students regardless of their income, background or zip code. They are key partners in Illinois and across the country as we solve the skills gap,” said Senator Duckworth. “That’s why I helped introduce the CC2C Act – so companies and community colleges can work together to prepare students for careers in the 21^st century.”

Last Congress, Senator Duckworth introduced several measures addressing affordability in higher education, such as the In the Red Act, which allows borrowers to refinance student loans at lower rates and makes two-year community colleges tuition free for deserving students, and the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools Reauthorization Act, which increases access to on-campus child care for low-income student parents. 

Southwestern Illinois College is the fifth largest community college in Illinois, with campuses in Belleville, Granite City and Red Bud. The college offers more than 150 degrees and certificate program, and serves thousands of Illinois students. The Sam Wolf Granite City campus offers a variety of unique workforce development programs, including Automotive Collision Repair Technology, Aviation Maintenance Technology, and Cisco Networking Academy.

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