PCC Mobile Learning Labs get fueled by $2 million grant
Story By: Ryan Wilson
Source: KOAA
The U.S. Department of Labor is investing $2 million into local workers and they are funneling the money through Pueblo Community College.
The Department chose PCC because of a program there that is unique to Colorado and the southwest.
"This is state of the art," Troy Bodel said. He's a mechanical system instructor at PCC, while standing inside an atypical classroom.
"We have a complete compliment of standard welding equipment," Bodel said.
And with the strange vocabulary.... "Flux, mig, tig, standard flux training," he says.
Some form of vacuuming arm, and red curtains, make it apparent that it's not definitely not your typical classroom. But that's the point.
"We're bringing real world experience to the customer," Bodel said.
The trailer was uniquely designed and built by PCC instructors, to go to companies that need additional training, in things like welding, hydraulics, and electrical systems.
And they bring it to the people who need to learn new skills, or need a new job.
"A lot of our jobs have gone overseas, we want to try and recapture those jobs, bring them back," Jerry Geiger, a Mechanical System Instructor for PCC, said.
With the new grant, they'll build three more training trailer, with the same strange equipment.
"We have an oxyecetelene manifold so we can do some basic training on oxyecetelene torch training, things like that," Bodel said.
It's a classroom on wheels that makes education a moving experience.
The new mobile learning labs will be built at the beginning of next year.
PCC plans to train 450 people in those labs, over the next three years.
