Gallatin County Provides $2 million in COVID-19 Relief Funds to Gallatin College MSU Workforce Programs
The Gallatin County Commission voted today to provide $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to Gallatin College Montana State University, the community’s lead career and technical education provider, to grow the local and regional workforce in high-demand industries.
The funds will be used by Gallatin College MSU to develop or expand workforce programs in the construction trades, welding and fabrication, manufacturing and health care.
Additionally, the funding will support childcare for Gallatin College students during the late afternoon and early evening hours, when most classes are offered. The college enrolled a record 673 degree seeking students this fall, and many of them are already working full- or part-time.
"The Gallatin County Commission has always been a steadfast partner with us in helping grow job opportunities for the county’s residents and meet the workforce needs of the community,” said Stephanie Gray, dean of Gallatin College MSU. “I’m incredibly grateful for the commission’s support in growing these programs with these funds.”
The funding will be spread over three years. Over that time, Gallatin College aims to enroll an additional 460 students and start or expand up to seven new workforce programs. The college will reach out to local employers in the above-mentioned industries to discuss ways to get the training up and running as quickly as possible.
“The Commission feels that this is the best strategy to help Gallatin County with economic development and recovery,” said Commissioner Joe Skinner. “Training more people to do important and needed jobs will help employees, businesses and consumers across our communities.”
Founded in 2010, Gallatin College MSU houses 16 career and technical workforce training programs, as well as Associate of Art and Associate of Science degree and transfer programs.
The college celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, and it has been MSU’s fastest growing college over that decade, when it started with just 100 students. More than 1,000 students have graduated its programs.
Demand for fall semester courses at Gallatin College was so strong this year that six of its programs were completely full: the Associate of Arts/Associate of Science program, interior design, small business management, drafting IT networking and phlebotomy. In additional five programs had waitlists: aviation, culinary arts, welding, medical assisting and CNC machining.
MSU considers a new building for Gallatin College critical to the college’s future growth. Gallatin College is currently spread across four locations in the county, and a new building will alleviate classroom and laboratory space constraints, Gray said.
Gallatin County is receiving $22 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Gallatin County Commission is in the process of deciding on what to do with these critical dollars.
Portions of the $22 million have been allocated to help pay for the county’s pandemic response. The funds for Gallatin College is the first commitment to an outside agency.
Commissioners continue to work with nonprofits, local governments, and businesses across Gallatin County to allocate other funds to help with four program areas they have prioritized: housing, mental health, economic recovery, and water and sewer projects.
In this 2018 file photo, Gallatin College students practice techniques during a class in the medical assistant program. MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez