College of Western Idaho (CWI) has received a generous donation of $100,000 from the Teens 2 Trades program. Faculty and administrators met with Teens 2 Trades representatives at the Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC) on April 18 to accept a ceremonial check and express their gratitude.
“We need to create a bigger doorway for our students to come here, both for their own economic empowerment and for the vibrancy of the state,” said CWI president Gordon Jones. “With community partners like Teens 2 Trades, we can build this ecosystem together.”
Teens 2 Trades, a scholarship initiative by Inspire Excellence, works to connect Idaho’s youth with the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and welding trades within the state. In collaboration with CWI, Teen’s 2 Trades extends its support by providing scholarships and career mentoring for students.
“Every industry — from alternative energy to agriculture — is rapidly evolving, but even with the brightest solutions you can only get so far without a trained workforce,” said Jones. “Many of those workers are going to come from community colleges and in southwest Idaho, they’re coming from CWI.”
“If we can play a small role in helping you, that’s where we want to contribute,” said Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Ball Ventures Ahlquist. “This initiative affects Idaho families. It affects my family. It affects our kids. It keeps them here. I can't think of a better work to be involved in.”
Click below for information about scholarships available for CWI students.
