Allegany College of Maryland has been awarded a $67,300 Appalachian Regional Commission grant to prepare the regional workforce for STEM-related careers.

The Cumberland News-Times reports,

The funding, jointly announced Tuesday by U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.), will be matched by local money.

“ARC continues to deliver important federal investments for Allegany County,” Cardin said. “This federal investment in our students’ future is good news for Western Maryland and an example of what we should be doing across the country. A strong STEM education opens doors to good quality jobs and the know-how to move our economy forward.”

Equipment such as a chemistry spectrometer, a chemical hygiene cabinet and CO2 gas sensors will be purchased to help students better quantify data and improve scientific reasoning skills.

“Maryland’s success depends on the strength of every region of our state, and the Appalachian Regional Commission has been a vital source of job-creating investments in Western Maryland,” said Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committees. “This grant for Allegany College is a smart investment to equip our students with the skills they need for in-demand, high-tech jobs, and I will continue to fight against efforts by the Trump Administration to eliminate the ARC.”

Read the full article for more information.