Project Amelioration — Training opportunities for individuals in active recovery and those who have been deeply affected by substance abuse.
Mountain Empire Community College, in partnership with the 30th Judicial Circuit Adult Recovery Court, Southwest Legal Aid Society, and LENOWISCO, announces continued support of Project Amelioration. Funded by the ARC INSPIRE Initiative, offering:
- Reduced/No Cost TRAINING and NCCER Certification
- Basic Carpentry (construction)
- Basic Masonry
- Basic Welding
- Basic Electrical
- Tools/Supplies Provided
- Job Counseling
- Hands-on Experience
- One meal, daily
- Transportation assistance with fuel cards
Project Amelioration is a community-based partnership bringing together the education, legal, medical, workforce, and recovery communities to develop an alternative “recovery ecosystem” in the heart of the opioid ravaged areas of southwestern Virginia.
Who qualifies for the program?
Serving Dickenson, Lee, Scott, and Wise Counties along with the city of Norton, Virginia, Mountain Empire Community College provides training in the skilled trades to those in active recovery suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and those who have been deeply affected by SUD. Skilled trades courses (carpentry, masonry, electrical, and welding) in nationally accredited associations are offered along with wrap-around services to help eliminate barriers to training and employment. Students receive hands-on training along with referrals/access to legal aid services, financial education, life skills training, Morale Reconation Treatment (MRT), OSHA Certification, counseling services, social services, and employment assistance.
Program details:
Project Amelioration courses are housed in our Workforce Department and are offered at our Center for Workforce & Innovation in Appalachia (CWIA), Virginia, as well as limited offerings in Lee and Dickenson Counties. Most courses run for 15 weeks, Monday-Thursday from 5-9pm and are taught by a licensed trades instructor. We provide all supplies and materials for free including books and tools, as well as a meal every evening, and fuel cards to help defray transportation costs. Tuition is little to NO cost to students with help from financial aid. Hands-on work is completed at our class sites or at various locations in Appalachia, Clintwood, and Pennington Gap, Virginia, to help provide construction services to the community for free.
COURSE INFORMATION:
Fall 2023
Welding/Fabrication at CWIA, Begins Sept 5, 2023
Welding/Fabrication at Dickenson County, Begins Nov 13, 2023
Spring 2024
Electrical At Lee County, Begins February 5, 2024
Masonry at CWIA, Begins February 5, 2024
Summer 2024
Carpentry at CWIA, Begins May 13, 2024
Carpentry at Lee County, Begins May 13, 2024
Fall 2024
Welding/Fabrication at Dickenson County TBD
Welding/Fabrication at Lee County TBD
Spring 2025
Welding/Fabrication at CWIA TBD
Electrical at CWIA TBD
Summer 2025
Carpentry at Dickenson County TBD
Masonry at CWIA TBD
For Program information and to register, please contact:
| Stephanie New | snew@mecc.edu | (276) 523-9123 |
*National Center for Construction Education and Research
