Southern Adventist University (SAU) in Collegedale, Tennessee, United States, has been awarded a US$3 million Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the United States Department of Education to develop new workforce-focused opportunities through its Applied Technology program, housed within SAU’s School of Engineering and Physics.

The five-year grant will support SAU’s Accelerating Career and Workforce Readiness in Applied Technology project, including the development of two new non-degree certificate programs in welding and mechatronics. Current project timelines call for the welding certificate program to begin in fall 2027 and the mechatronics certificate program in fall 2028.

More than US$1.2 million of the grant funding is designated for new equipment, and more than US$1.4 million will support staffing needed to establish and operate the programs. The short-term certificate programs are intended to prepare students for employment in high-demand technical fields, expand connections with workforce partners, and strengthen pathways for low-income and first-generation students. The concept builds on previous university strategic planning and an extensive review of institutional data, student input, labor market information, workforce trends, and other research.

The project is designed to expand SAU's ability to prepare students with practical technical skills while responding to workforce needs in the region.

The original article was published on the Southern Adventist University news site.