Michigan's Wayne County Community College District Offers Free Tech Courses, Broadband Access, and Devices in a Pilot Program

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 04/01/24

Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) in Michigan has received a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's CMC (Connecting Minority Communities) Pilot program to give students and county residents served by the college free courses, broadband access, and devices to promote digital literacy and inclusion for careers in the tech industry.

Thanks to the nearly $3 million grant, WCCCD will lend more than 200 laptops with included Verizon connectivity on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible students.

WCCCD said the program consists of three components: building broadband capacity; broadband access, and digital inclusion and digital skills training.

Tech training courses are offered both in person and online in a six- to eight-week curriculum and offer skills acquisition and certification. Taught by industry professionals from major tech companies, courses include:

  • Entry-level digital literacy;
  • Google Data Analytics;
  • UX/UI Design;
  • Cyber Security;
  • CompTIA Security+; and
  • Mechatronics with a specialization in Fanuc 01 Certified Robotics Technology.

WCCCD is hosting information sessions for those interested. For more on these sessions or to register for courses, visit this Free Certification Training page.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.

  • university building with classical architecture is partially overlaid by a glowing digital brain graphic

    NSF Invests $100 Million in National AI Research Institutes

    The National Science Foundation has announced a $100 million investment in National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, part of a broader White House strategy to maintain American leadership as competition with China intensifies.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education.

  • cybersecurity book with a shield and padlock

    NIST Proposes New Cybersecurity Guidelines for AI Systems

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology has unveiled plans to issue a new set of cybersecurity guidelines aimed at safeguarding artificial intelligence systems, citing rising concerns over risks tied to generative models, predictive analytics, and autonomous agents.