Northwest Shoals Community College will receive two $1.9 million grants from the President’s Community Based Job Training Grant program, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday afternoon.

Sessions, along with U.S. Labor Secretary Elaina Chao, told reporters the community college’s awards were two of 69  named out of nearly 400 applications, and the only two to be awarded in Alabama.

“We are becoming a knowledge-based economy,” Chao said. “Higher skills, more education, that nets the better jobs.

“This program links community colleges with workforce training,” she explained, “which is critical for developing economic talent.”

Sessions, who once taught at Northwest Shoals Community College, said he was proud of the program there.