West Virginia Community and Technical College System Chancellor Sarah A. Tucker said after providing testimony March 15 for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, “It was nice to tell the country what West Virginia colleges are doing.”

U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., invited Tucker to speak to the committee about STEM education in West Virginia and the various partnerships with business and industry.

“I was so proud of Dr. Tucker. She did us all proud explaining her values and how important it is to have this (STEM) opportunity,” Manchin said. “She explained how the partnerships work and what a difference that makes to the program — training people for real jobs and working while training.”

Tucker spoke specifically about an Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program launched in 2012.

“One of the most successful partnerships is between BridgeValley Community and Technical College and Toyota Motor Corp.,” she said.

The two-year associate’s degree program combines cutting-edge STEM curriculum and paid-work experience through a world-class manufacturer.

“As a result of this successful partnership, Toyota Motor Corp. generously donated robots to BridgeValley, so that students could be trained on the most state-of-the-art equipment,” Tucker said.

Tucker also spoke about partnerships with the oil and gas industry and two colleges. Industry partners in West Virginia include FirstEnergy, Noble Energy, Columbia Pipeline, MarkWest, Dominion Energy, Southwest Energy, Chevron and Chesapeake.

“I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful opportunity that Procter and Gamble’s recent move to West Virginia has allowed our residents and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College,” Tucker said.

Tucker said P&G will need to hire more than 700 employees at the West Virginia facility.

“Each of these employees needs education and training in STEM fields, primarily mechatronics, instrumentation process controls and applied laboratory technicians,” Tucker said.

The committee also heard about a partnership with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

“This partnership WVDHHR has made federal funding available to encourage and support Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients interested in enrolling in training programs at our community and technical colleges,” Tucker said.

Tucker said the typical community college students in West Virginia have families to feed, mortgages and car payments, childcare issues and sometimes parents for whom to care. Many are either out of work of are under-employed.

“These circumstances often cause our students to need to get into and out of a program that will lead to a high-wage career as quickly as possible,” Tucker said.

Tucker also thanked the committee for voting for year-round Pell grants. She said students who receive workforce retraining dollars often are required to attend continuous training, which can become difficult if they can’t receive Pell grants in the summer.

“Pell is vital to our success,” she said.

Capito said investing in STEM education holds promise and possibility.

“I was glad to have the opportunity to discuss this important topic during today’s hearing, which highlighted how STEM can strengthen our economy by creating more jobs and improving health and well-being,” Capito said. “These are the jobs of the future, and we must continue investing in this field so we can attract, retain and help West Virginians reach their full potential.”

The CTC System in West Virginia is made up of nine public community and technical colleges at 27 different locations across the state. The annual headcount enrollment is nearly 28,000 students, 55 percent of whom attend college on a part-time basis.