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The grant will allow LCC to update equipment in its new Industry and Trades Education Center.
Lane Community College will receive $1.6 million in federal funding to help buy equipment for its new Industry and Trades Education Center.
The money from the U.S. Department of Labor will allow LCC to upgrade equipment in the center, the cornerstone of the college’s workforce and advanced-technology programs.
The grant, announced Wednesday, Feb. 11, by Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, is among more than $92 million earmarked for community projects throughout the state, the senators said in a press release.
Grant Matthews, LCC’s associate vice president for career and technical education and workforce development, said a goal officials had in applying for the grant was to “ensure students are prepared to address security and programming issues related to advanced technologies, smart manufacturing and internet-connected industries.”
With that in mind, he said in an email, the college is eyeing investing in manufacturing-related cybersecurity and related equipment. In addition, the grant could allow LCC to replace outdated equipment. He added that officials have flexibility to assess current and changing needs before making final decisions about purchases.
Matthews added that LCC officials try to ensure that they’re making investments for the long run — as challenging as that can be with fast-changing technology.
“We look at general skills as well as specific equipment-based skills to try to ensure what we ask for has longevity,” he said in the email. “This is one of the reasons why we are looking at cybersecurity or other elements of security. We know that these skills and concerns will be long-term issues within industries.”
Matthews added LCC officials also work to make sure that the equipment students train on “looks similar to the industries in our areas or has a general-enough purpose that the skills will be transferable.”
In the press release from Wyden and Merkley, LCC President Stephanie Bulger said the funding will allow the college to “develop cutting-edge curricula and acquire essential equipment for training the next generation of skilled workers in advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.”
LCC’s Industry and Trades Education Center opened for classes in January 2025. The building, with a construction cost of $39 million and a total project cost of $49.5 million, was largely funded through a 2020 bond measure approved by voters.
