MSJC receives $2.5 million for career, tech programs

The nursing program is one of the MSJC programs that will benefit from the $2.5 million grant.

Press release from Mt. San Jacinto College:

The Mt. San Jacinto College Foundation was awarded $2.5 million after Riverside County Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington forwarded a proposal to support the college district’s career and technical education programs.

The $2.5 million allocation, approved by Riverside County Board of Supervisors on July 18, comes from Washington’s Third District American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. It is the largest grant received by the MSJC Foundation.

“This tremendous support has a significant impact on our students and the communities we serve,” said Roger Schultz, Ph.D., Superintendent/President. “We appreciate our County Supervisors for working with the MSJC Foundation and partners to create innovative economic and job development programs. Relevant courses help students build essential skills to earn well-paying jobs and satisfy the needs of the communities we serve.”

Washington said that as people return to the workforce, the region has experienced shortages in many sectors, including childcare and healthcare, which result in barriers to Riverside County’s economic recovery.

“The Third District welcomes projects that improve economic, health, and safety outcomes for our residents,” Washington said. “This funding will support those goals by ensuring MSJC students who enter healthcare, law enforcement and other career and technical programs are trained with the latest equipment and technologies. MSJC’s Temecula Valley Campus prepares our local students for jobs in high-demand and well-paid fields, which contributes to our economic growth.”

Washington’s Third District takes in a portion of MSJC’s 1,700-square-mile district, which includes the Temecula Valley Campus, MSJC’s newest campus that opened in 2021.

“We are honored to receive this support from Supervisor Washington and the entire Board of Supervisors,” said Adam Eventov, MSJC Foundation Board President. “This is a major milestone in the Foundation’s new initiatives to benefit the college district and its students. This is an investment in programs that advance affordable access to career and technical training that not only helps meet the immediate needs of employers but helps improve attainment of associate and bachelor’s degrees.”

The MSJC Foundation will use the funding to support an innovative K-16 program for training in fields that include general automotive maintenance, construction, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and utilities (water, gas, electric and solar). Existing and proposed programs will offer rigorous and enriching educational opportunities in an equitable and inclusive environment that fosters growth through equal opportunities and access throughout MSJC’s district.

Partnerships with K-12 districts will allow for articulated curriculum that meets the state’s high school graduation requirements and qualifies for college credit that can be applied towards an associate or bachelor’s degree.

The funding will provide resources for needed upgrades and new equipment and technologies to support equal opportunity access across the college district.