Highline Community College recently was awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant to strengthen its international business program and support training opportunities for small and medium size businesses, promoting import and export trade with China.

The $172, 000 two-year grant will fund Highline's program, titled "Expanding International Business Education and Training: Creating Connections with Yangzhou, China."

Partnering with the college are the Small Business Development Center housed at Highline, the Kent-Yangzhou Sister City Committee (KYSCC) and the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle.

"This is an exciting project designed to help meet the growing needs of Seattle area small and medium size firms to develop their export capacity, said Highline Community College interim president Dr. Jack Bermingham.

"We will expand on-line access to the international business program and its related curriculum to serve non-traditional, mid-career, and part-time students, and we will address the demand in South King County to promote international trade as part of its economic development strategy."

Highline will assist Seattle-area businesses to understand and be positioned to take advantage of economic opportunities in the Yangzhou area. Yangzhou is a metropolitan center with about 4.5 million people 180 miles northwest of Shanghai on the Yangtze River.

The grant will fund workshops for those interested in trade with, and investment in China. It will fund individualized business counseling for selected small and medium size enterprises in South King County to develop effective export strategies.

Grant partners will assist the businesses in developing import and export relationships with firms in the Yangzhou area-a focus on international business that broadens the mission of Highline's Center of Excellence for International Trade, Logistics and Transportation that the college was awarded earlier this year.

"The grant also supports student participation by funding a few international internship opportunities as part of the business curriculum," said Highline Director of International Programs & Grants, Kathleen Hasselblad.

"Additionally, it strengthens the College's deep relationships with Yangzhou and its higher education institutions."

Under the terms of the grant, Highline will conduct a Trade Exhibit to Yangzhou, tentatively set for May, representing some Washington state products and services. The College expects to lead a Trade Mission in the spring of 2009 to Yangzhou for businesses served by this project.

Student interns will participate in both activities.