“The people of our region deserve a first-class facility and the opportunity to compete for great jobs, and this generous grant from the Assisi Foundation will help us move forward with a vitally-important educational program,” said Dr. Glen Fenter, MSCC President.
“We are committed to developing a world-class training initiative that is completely responsive to the Memphis metropolitan area workforce needs, and our goal continues to be the creation of a workforce that will be second to none in the nation,” added Dr. Gibson “Sunny” Morris, Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium Liaison for Special Projects at MSCC.
“We consider the Assisi Foundation’s investment in Mid-South Community College critical to our mission to facilitate economic development in our region.”
The Assisi Foundation grant, coupled with a $1.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration, will provide the majority of the funding for the 22,000-square foot facility that will feature an aircraft hangar, classrooms, laboratories, and support areas.
“For us to maintain our airframe and powerplant program, we desperately need a facility of this size and caliber,” said Dr. Cliff Jones, Vice President for Learning and Instruction. “The Aviation Maintenance program puts our students in a position to access great employment opportunities.”
Aviation maintenance training currently takes place in MSCC’s Workforce Technology Center where the program shares space with advanced manufacturing and machining initiatives.
“The new facility will provide us the capacity to expand our program from the current limit of 45 students to 200 students in the years ahead,” said Pete Selden, Associate Vice President for Workforce Programs. “Many current workers are expected to retire in the next decade, so this program will help us meet some of the growing technician needs in the aviation field.”
In the first quarter of 2010, Mid-South Community College received a $3.4 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to establish the aviation maintenance program.
MSCC used the funding to develop integrated, FAA-certified training (AMTS certification-2MCT 601K) for airframe and powerplant technicians.
FedEx agreed to serve as a partner in the effort and has made numerous and significant contributions. Most recently, the Memphis-based company gave the institution a Boeing 727 for student training.
The jetliner is currently located on the College’s land near the West Memphis Municipal Airport.
Emphasizing internships and on-the-job training, MSCC’s aviation maintenance program gives students the opportunity to master skills needed to meet the increasing demands of the aviation maintenance industry.
The new training facility will also support the workforce development programs of the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC), a partnership of five community colleges that are committed to the economic development of the 12 counties of eastern Arkansas.
The Assisi Foundation of Memphis serves nonprofit organizations that work to improve Memphis and the Mid-South. Its primary areas of focus include health and human services, education and lifelong learning, social justice and ethics, and cultural enrichment and the arts.
As a champion of lifelong learning, The Assisi Foundation works to strengthen its community’s educational well-being through programs that develop tools for life and focus on the awareness and importance of accepting social responsibilities. The Foundation funds nonprofits that build the organizational capacity of provider agencies, provide professional development, promote collaboration, and leverage local, state, and federal resources.
The Foundation’s principles begin and end with respect, compassion, service, and stewardship for its community and one another. It strives to effectively and efficiently allocate resources to support the diverse needs of the community in a way that improves the quality of life for all.
Since its formation in 1994 from the sale of St. Francis Hospital, The Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc. has awarded more than $150 million to nonprofit organizations serving people located primarily in the Greater Memphis area.
“The mission of The Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc. is simply, philanthropy,” says Executive Director Dr. Jan Young. “Whether we use the ancient Greek, classic, or modern definition of philanthropy, we are committed to service for the public good.”
“Inspired by the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi and influenced by our history of health care, we are mindful of the challenge to judiciously allocate our finite resources. Thus, effective philanthropy is a primary goal.”
The Assisi Foundation has been a major contributor to MSCC on multiple occasions. Since 1997, the philanthropic organization has awarded the college more than $1.1 million for aviation technology enhancements, nursing education, early childhood enrichment, lifelong learning/reading programs, and public safety training.
“We remain indebted to the Assisi Foundation for their continuing support of quality educational and training programs in our region,” Dr. Fenter said. “Like the Assisi Foundation, Mid-South Community College is committed to improving the quality of life for our citizens, and a grant of this magnitude helps us expand a program that is of vital importance to the aviation industry and our region.”
For information about the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at MSCC, call (870) 733-6722, email admissions@midsouthcc.edu; visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway, or see the website at www.midsouthcc.edu.
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