A consortium of Iowa’s 15 community colleges has received a $12.95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for an initiative to increase their capacity in manufacturing training programs. The initiative will enable the community colleges to enroll more than 3,000 additional students in accelerated certificate and degree programs  for high-demand career areas. It also will establish eight American Welding Society-accredited test facilities across the state. The consortium is working directly with more than 35 Iowa manufacturers and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry to ensure the initiative meets the skill needs of the manufacturing industry, the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees said in a release.