Specifications include, but are not limited to: Parkland College is accepting proposals to secure a third-party evaluator (external evaluator) to execute ongoing and rigorous evaluation of the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant funded through the U.S. Department of Labor titled, “Access to Training Opportunities in Manufacturing and Technology (ATOMAT).” This grant was awarded to a consortium of seven Illinois community colleges: Illinois Valley Community College, John A. Logan College, John Wood Community College, Lincoln Land Community College, Parkland College, Rend Lake College, and Shawnee Community College. Parkland College is the lead. ATOMAT arose through the analysis of income and employment disparities across demographics, regional employer skilled labor force needs, and the state’s postsecondary credential attainment goal. ATOMAT will help the consortium partners focus on recruiting and supporting the target populations of females, students of color, and low-income students into career and technical education programs that prepare students for sustainable wage careers. Strategies include the development of Competency-Based Education models in Industrial Maintenance, Welding, and Computer User Support Specialist programs; the creation of a framework for community recruitment and engagement; the expansion of program offerings to accommodate more students; activities to increase the enrollment of target populations in the Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics sectors; and support efforts to increase the completion rate of low-income students in the Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics sectors.