Northampton Community College (NCC) has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) to fund the establishment of a workforce development training center on the southside of Bethlehem . The investment is expected to create jobs and provide training for 1650 area residents and to generate $30 million in private investment. The announcement of the award was made by Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce for the United States .

“This represents a major step forward for the Lehigh Valley,” said NCC’s president, Dr. Arthur Scott. “The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the area ranks the establishment of a workforce training center on the southside of Bethlehem as the number one priority for economic development in Lehigh and Northampton counties,” Scott noted. “Our elected officials – U.S. Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter, U.S. Representative Charlie Dent ; State Senator Lisa Boscola; Mayor John Callahan; County Executive John Stoffa; the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, and Dr. Paul Pierpoint and Helene Whitaker here at the College all worked together to make it possible.”

Supplemented by state funding and private contributions, the EDA grant will enable the College to convert the sixth floor of its new educational center at 511 East Third Street into a training center that will prepare area residents for occupations in health care and hospitality – two fields that are expected to be in high demand locally in the years ahead: NCC already has strong programs in both fields and is highly regarded by local employers.

The center will include 14 classrooms and specialized laboratories for instruction as well as space for interviews, skills assessment, career counseling and employer services. More than 1200 students have already flocked to the building that was once part of the Bethlehem Steel complex since the College purchased it and began adult basic education, GED, English-as-a-Second Language classes and occupational training there last year. A summer youth program will begin next month, and college courses will be added in the fall in the facility which is now known as the Fowler Family Southside Center.

Commenting on the EDA grant, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter said, “The investment that the U.S. Department of Commerce is making in Northampton Community College’s Workforce Development Training Center has the potential for tremendous economic impact for the region.” In addition to providing area residents who are unemployed and underemployed “with the necessary resources to obtain quality jobs,” Specter said the Center will spur economic growth through private investment.

U.S. Senator Rick Santorum called the grant “great news,” saying that training
“will help ensure that our workforce is prepared to compete in a growing and technologically sophisticated economy.” U.S. Representative Charlie Dent praised NCC as “an important resource for job training and economic development,” noting that the Commerce Department’s investment “will help grow the quality of our workforce and improve job prospects for the people of Northampton County.”

The Economic Development Administration was established to meet the economic development needs of distressed communities throughout the United States. Its mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American Regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.