Black River Technical College in Pocahontas and Paragould has received $650,000 in Regional Workforce Grants to support manufacturing and transportation programs. 

The two-year community college's Machine Tool Technology department will receive $500,000 to purchase multiple pieces of machinery including nine new Sharp manual lathes, two new manual end mills, and one new Okomoto surface grinder, the school said in a news release.

The rest of the money will go to the college's Auto Collision Technology department to purchase an automobile frame repair machine.

The machine will replace equipment that has been in use for more than 35 years, helping to modernize the program and train students using technology currently in the field.

The grants were awarded by the state Department of Higher Education.

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