Reading Area Community College (RACC) and the Schmidt Training and Technology Center (STTC) have been awarded a grant totaling $143,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) under the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Training-to-Career Grant Program. With this grant, RACC and its participating industry partners will develop a ‘Training-to-Career’ program focusing on young people (ages 17-24) to provide access to knowledge and skills relevant to local manufactures. The program will teach basic level production skills, along with workplace behaviors, resume writing and interviewing skills.  

This is an intense program during which participants are expected to attend full-time classes, five days a week for six weeks. Upon successful completion, all participants are guaranteed an interview with the core partners and/or companies affiliated with the Workforce Development Board. With successful funding, the first cohort is scheduled to enroll in fall 2018. In the inaugural year, all tuition charges for participants will be waived. Applications will be accepted beginning summer 2018.

Current participating industry partners include Berks Workforce Development Board, Brentwood Industries, Carpenter Technology, Cambridge-Lee Industries, Custom Processing Services, Rm Palmer, R-V Industries and Sweet Street Desserts. Additional local manufactures are encouraged to participate in this effort. Please contact Mike Salute at msalute@racc.edu for more information.

RACC and the STTC have also received a $7,500 grant from American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC) and the Arconic Foundation for their Creating Connections for Manufacturing Communities with Community Colleges initiative. RACC and the STTC have been selected as one of nine Community Colleges in the Nation recognized as leaders in advanced manufacturing training and education. The nine Community College cohort will develop a “tool kit” of best practices needed for manufacturers to transition their businesses into the 4th Industrial Revolution; Industry 4.0 Smart Factory. The grant will give RACC and the STTC the opportunity to become a leader in offering cutting edge Cyber Physical training and education programs and credentials.

For more information about RACC and the programs offered at the Schmidt Training and Technology Center, call 610.372.4721, or email jvecchio@racc.edu.

It’s been an amazing April 2018 for Reading Area Community College student Amie Croteau. On Tuesday, April 10th, Amie received word that she was selected as the only Pennsylvania student to win the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Just the night before, Amie delivered an acceptance speech at the PA Commission for Community Colleges ceremony in Harrisburg after receiving the Phi Theta Kappa New Century Pathway Scholarship award. 

As if this wasn’t enough, earlier this year Amie was also awarded the All-PA PASSHE Award; which is a two-year tuition credit applied toward an in-state tuition charge.

Croteau, of Sinking Spring, will complete her AA in Business Administration and AAS in Web Application Development at RACC this semester. She will then continue her education at Bloomsburg University, where she will pursue her Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership degree. All of her Bloomsburg course work will be covered financially using the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship.

“I am speechless. I moved to Berks from Las Vegas a few years ago, not even planning on returning to school. Now I’m a New Century Scholar continuing the great education I received at RACC with a scholarship to a four-year college,” says Croteau.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship honors excellence by supporting outstanding community college students to transfer to and complete their bachelor’s degrees at the nation’s top four-year colleges and universities. The selection process for these awards is rigorous and highly competitive with approximately forty-five scholarships awarded each year out of thousands of applicants. A review panel of distinguished university admissions professionals and faculty judge the applicants.

The New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar award is given to the student receiving the highest All-USA Academic Team application score in each state; and is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. To learn more about developing leadership potential through participation in Phi Theta Kappa programs at RACC, contact Danelle Bower at 610.372.4721.

THIS MESSAGE IS SENT ON BEHALF OF GUIDO PICHINI, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

I am pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees named Dr. Susan Looney the 6th President of Reading Area Community College during their meeting this evening. She succeeds Dr. Anna Weitz, who will retire on June 30, 2018 after 11 years of service as RACC’s President.

Dr. Looney earned her AA at Brookdale Community College and went on to earn a BS and MBA in business administration from Monmouth University, a JD from Widener University School of Law and an Ed.D. in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University. In her 20 years as a full-time community college educator, eight as a faculty member and 12 as a senior administrator, Dr. Looney has worked in a variety of academic and administrative roles at Mohave Community College in Arizona and at Delaware Technical Community College. Throughout her career, she has been significantly involved in team building, budgeting, strategic planning, assessment, community engagement, and fundraising.

Dr. Looney joined the staff of RACC in 2014 as Dean of Instruction before moving to the position of Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost in 2015. Throughout her tenure she has consistently demonstrated her deep commitment to the success of our students and has focused the staff on excellence, while using outcomes to inform next steps.  I am extremely confident that Dr. Looney provides the best combination of skills, experiences and vision to lead RACC into an exciting and vibrant future.

We will, of course, host a reception to formally welcome Dr. Looney to the presidency later this year. In the meantime, please join me in extending congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Looney.

Guido

Press Release