A new Illinois College program is getting a big boost thanks to a federal grant.
18th District Congressman Darin LaHood announced today, that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded Illinois College with a grant of $237,000 to support the new clinical nursing program.
According to LaHood’s announcement, the EDA grant is anticipated to create over 1,000 jobs in the area. LaHood said in the release, creating a new nursing program near Passavant Area Hospital is great news for Jacksonville and Morgan County.
He says the funding will provide both Illinois College and Lincoln Land Community College the opportunity to partner and establish a critically needed clinical nursing program in the Jacksonville area.
According to the announcement, LaHood sent a letter to the U.S. Economic Development Administration to advocate on behalf of Illinois College in July of last year.
He says the grant will help combat the negative impact to the region caused by the closure of MacMurray College last year. The grant funding will allow for the creation of a state-of-the-art nursing lab at Illinois College.
Passavant Area Hospital anticipates hiring healthcare professionals from programs supported by the grant. The collaborations supported by the grant will provide students a path to employment, further supporting job development in the district.