Adults who are taking Black Hawk College classes to learn English or earn their high school diploma or GED soon will be able to simultaneously enroll in welding classes thanks to a new grant.
The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) recently awarded a $202,220 Innovative Bridge and Transition (IBT) grant to Black Hawk College.
The college will use the money to create an Integrated Career & Academic Preparation System (ICAPS) welding program specifically for adult English as a Second Language (ESL), GED and high school diploma students.
The ICAPS Welding Program will start in fall 2026.
Students will have to apply for a scholarship to participate in the program. Recipients then will enroll in welding classes at the same time they are taking ESL, GED or high-school completion classes.
“Receiving IBT funding is a huge win for our GED and ESL students,” Liz Hogan-Wells, associate dean of adult and continuing education, said in a news release Monday, Dec. 22. “It is just another way we can support their transition from adult education to high-demand employment.”
Statewide IBT grant program
ICCB recently announced $9.3 million in statewide IBT grants to support initiatives that help Illinois residents transition more effectively into post-secondary education, job training and high-demand careers.
The IBT program supports projects that serve adults and youth who may face academic, linguistic, socioeconomic or disability-related barriers to college and career entry.
“We’re excited to create the ICAPS Welding Program to prepare adult education students for a skilled, in-demand career while they continue working toward their GED or high school diploma or improving their English,” said Ann Young, Black Hawk’s director of adult education.
ICAPS programs at BHC
The community college also offers two other ICAPs programs – patient care assistant and information technology. Classes are at the college’s Quad-Cities Campus in Moline and at the college’s Welding and Skilled Trades Center in downtown Kewanee.
The college first began serving adult education learners on July 1, 1969. Today, the Black Hawk College Adult Education program provides classes for students studying for their GED, learning English as a Second Language, and working toward completing their high school diploma. For more information, call (309) 796-8216.
