The Erie County Community College is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.
Since opening in 2021, EC3 has expanded its course offerings and enrollment. The college recently received $900,000 in state funding to make upgrades to its main campus, as well as its location in Summit Township at the Erie County Technical School.
The funding will be used for classroom renovations, technology and equipment upgrades, and other facility improvements.
Shawn Waskiewicz, the Executive Director of External Affairs for the Erie County Community College, said the college’s most popular programs are in health care and manufacturing, “Our most popular programs are in health care and manufacturing. Up in Summit, we have a really good program up there. Luke Comers, with our welding program, does a fabulous job. Most of those people have jobs waiting for them.”
Students at EC3 aren’t just earning degrees and certificates, they’re also finding opportunities to enter the workforce right here in Erie. According to Waskiewicz, “Most of them, if they want to go to work, have a job waiting for them, which some do and some don’t, which we always tell people, ‘If you want a job, you will have one waiting for you.’”
EC3 recently received state funding to help the college continue to grow and evolve over the next five years. As Waskiewicz explained, “Some of that money is going to help up at Summit, facility renovation, technology renovations here at our West County location, so just to keep up with the times, enhance our classrooms and our technology and some projects that we have going on.”
The school plans to use the funds to continue modernizing classrooms while also keeping up with routine maintenance. While some of the money is going toward improvements at the Summit Township facility, other funding is being used for renovations at the West County location, including improvements to the stairwell.
Moving forward, affordability is something EC3 plans to continue focusing on for its students. As Waskiewicz explained, “We got approved for Title IV financial aid funding. Basically, what that means is that we encourage all of our students to fill out a FAFSA application. About 70 percent of our students will qualify for financial aid through the Fed. Some may be eligible for a refund, depending on their household situation, and then those people who don’t qualify for scholarship eligibility, we can work with them on other payment options.”
In honor of its fifth anniversary, EC3 is planning a block party in the spring, as well as a formal gathering. The college also plans to debut a new logo soon.