$1 million investment to help MCC expand construction education opportunities
Savannah Behrends
Copywriter and features editor | August 19, 2026
Skilled trades are in demand across the nation and at Metropolitan Community College — so much so that students are waiting for a spot.
A $1 million investment from the Wells Fargo Foundation will help MCC expand its Construction and Building Science program and scholarship opportunities while creating more hands-on learning opportunities for students through a new partnership with Omaha nonprofit HomeWoven.
The grant was announced Aug. 18 during a press conference at the MCC Construction Education Center on the Fort Omaha Campus, where leaders from MCC, Wells Fargo, government and community partners gathered to highlight the impact of the investment and host a panel discussion on how organizations can work in tandem to offer solutions to affordable housing while addressing workforce needs.
The $1 million grant will be split into two categories — $750,000 for building improvements and staffing and $250,000 for student scholarships.
HomeWoven will receive an additional $250,000 grant to construct affordable housing in South Omaha and preserve existing homes. The funding also will develop an industry partnership between HomeWoven and MCC, giving students internship opportunities with the nonprofit to apply their skills to real community projects.
“Places like Omaha do not grow unless people have an affordable house they can call home, and if you don’t have a skilled workforce to build those houses, none of this can exist,” said Jason Rosenberg, head of Public Affairs at Wells Fargo.
Hands-on experience is a core part of skilled-trades education at MCC. Trevor Secora, MCC Construction Technology program coordinator and instructor, said the MCC Capstone Construction project is the biggest and most visible example of this approach.
Every year, more than 150 MCC students — representing construction and building science technology, plumbing, architecture and electrical programs — build a single-family home at the Construction Education Center for a community partner. That home is then moved from the campus directly into the community where it helps increase affordable housing stock.
“It’s not just another project that students build and throw away,” Secora said. “They’ll be able to drive by this house year after year and know that they’ve made an impact in their community.”
The current Capstone home, which is set to be moved into the community next week, was visible through a floor-to-ceiling window next to the conference space, giving attendees a glimpse at one of the College's signature projects.
Experiences like these give students a firsthand look at what a career in the skilled trades can look like while building their skills and confidence. That hands-on approach is part of what stood out to Mike Rowe, founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, during his visit to MCC.
“MCC has cracked the code, and I think they could be a template for other community colleges,” Rowe said.
The challenge now, Rowe said, is changing the way people think about careers in the skilled trades. He commented on the large windows at the Construction Education Center, and how important it is to show off students working in these state-of-the-art spaces. He also challenged everyone in attendance to help correct a generation-long narrative that funneled students toward one option for education following high school — a four-year degree.
“The skilled trades have had a PR problem for decades ... ever since we started pulling shop classes out of schools and promoting four-year degrees. We need to tell the stories of the individuals who are prospering because of working in a trade,” he said.
Growing demand for MCC skilled-trades education is one part of that story — one that shows students are seeking opportunities to build careers, employers need skilled workers and communities need people with the skills to build and strengthen them.
Interested in a hands-on career in the skilled trades? Visit mccneb.edu/SkilledTrades to learn more about MCC programs.