The grant will help fund technical career education programs
Oak Ridge, N.J. – Jan. 30, 2019 – Lakeland Bank is pleased to announce it has awarded a $15,000 Community Impact Grant to Sussex County Community College (SCCC) to support the advancement of technical career programs. The purpose of the Bank’s Community Impact Grant Program is to make investments directly in eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary mission is to provide services that impact the environment, social, physical and/or mental well-being of the individuals, families, and communities within the Bank’s assessment areas.
“Lakeland has been a long-time supporter of SCCC and we are especially excited to provide this grant to the Foundation to further develop their technical career programs,” said Ellen Lalwani, Executive Vice President. “We strongly believe that access to affordable, local higher education that provides a path for meaningful employment opportunities is important to building and maintaining strong and vibrant communities.”
SCCC is in an ideal position to bridge the challenge of the growing need by employers to find skilled workers in technical and growth fields with the need expressed by students to find meaningful employment with sustainable salaries upon graduation. The college has built, created, and will continue to expand programs in the technical career arenas, such as Machine Tool Technology, Automotive, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, and Welding. The creation of these programs has been done in partnership with employers and community stakeholders to ensure they are viable and that SCCC remains in sync with career trends.
“We are honored to be a grant recipient from Lakeland Bank. These funds will support technical career education at SCCC,” said Monica Lemperle, SCCC Foundation Director. “And, we thank Lakeland Bank for being a great community partner.”
The Grant will be used to support and expand technical education programs via the purchase of equipment, materials, spaces, and the hiring of quality instructors. Technical programs require costly state of the art tools and machinery and the funding from Lakeland Bank will be an important component toward our programs growth and success.
About the Grant Process
The program is non-competitive and with no public solicitations for applications. Prospective recipients and their programs are nominated for consideration for a grant based upon an internal nomination process designed specifically for this program. Eligible organizations that provide the following services within the Bank’s assessment areas will be considered:
- Financial independence
- Homelessness solutions and affordable housing programs
- Education programs offering financial skill sets
- Youth programs and services including childcare and afterschool programs
- Emergency services including food, shelter and clothing
- Health and well-being services
About Lakeland Bank
Lakeland Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBAI), which has $6.3 billion in total assets. The Bank operates more than 50 branch offices throughout Bergen, Essex, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties in New Jersey including one branch in Highland Mills, New York; six New Jersey regional commercial lending centers in Bernardsville, Jackson, Montville, Newton, Teaneck and Waldwick; and one New York commercial lending center to serve the Hudson Valley region. Lakeland also has a commercial loan production office serving Middlesex and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. Lakeland Bank offers an extensive suite of financial products and services for businesses and consumers. Visit LakelandBank.com for more information.