When U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris visited the Newton DMACC campus last week, he announced that all of Iowa’s community colleges would be sharing a $13 million federal grant to be distributed through the Iowa-Advanced Manufacturing consortium, of which Newton DMACC is a member.

Kim Didier, executive director of DMACC Business Resources, said she was unsure how much of that grant would be coming to the Newton DMACC campus, but that a major portion of their share would be used in the welding and industrial maintenance program.

One of the items in the Newton DMACC budget is a virtual welding simulator, Didier said. The students can put on a welding helmet which is in fact a virtual reality projection, allowing the students to gain a very realistic welding experience, receiving direct and immediate feedback without using any materials.