St. Clair County Community College has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth to support the state’s No Worker Left Behind program. SC4 was one of only 10 colleges to receive a grant.

SC4 will use the grant to expand the number of adults who earn a college education by addressing the barriers they often face. The project is called AWARE: Adults Who Are Returning to Education.

Students will learn the skills needed to succeed in college. Through the program, students will get individual advising and assistance in areas such as basic academic skills, confidence building, study skills and understanding financial aid and other support services.

As part of the grant project, SC4 also is partnering with the Port Huron Area School District’s adult education program to provide expanded access to adult basic education. Other partners include the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, Blue Water Area Transit, Community Action Agency of St. Clair County, Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, Macomb-St. Clair Workforce Development Board and St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority.

The project’s goal is to move workers from a manufacturing-based economy to jobs in the emerging knowledge-based economy. AWARE will be able to serve 125 students over 20 months.

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