What Happened?
Four California counties recently received more than $5 million in federal funding to launch workforce development programs targeting the long-term unemployed population.
The Consortium
A four-county Workforce Investment Board consortium in California will receive more than $5 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Labor to support workforce development projects in the region. The goal of the grant program is to launch job programs designed to get the 1,300 long-term unemployed residents back to work, Mercury News reported.
The DOL’s Ready to Work grant money will assist the consortium in offering certification or degree programs for at least 500 of the local participants. The consortium aims to provide counsel and training resources for individuals who have been out of work or underemployed for more than 27 weeks. The grant funding will support these assistance programs to get workers back onto career paths, Mercury News reported.
The Workforce Investment Board consortium consists of boards from San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. The $5,293,884 federal grant will be divided among the four county boards based on population demands to effectively address long-term unemployment, Mercury News reported.
Private Sector
A consortium of manufacturing companies and other businesses in Franklin County, Massachusetts, recently raised more than $213,000 in private sector matching funds to acquire two grants from the state. The state funding will help the organizations purchase up-to-date equipment and attract skilled employees to effectively compete for contracts in a variety of industries, Mass Live reported.
The private sector funding allowed the consortium of businesses to obtain a $250,000 equipment grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and a $239,351 Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund training grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The business consortium will work with local technical schools and community colleges to design adult curriculum training programs to build a stronger, skilled workforce in the region, Mass Live reported.
With specialized training programs and updated machinery, the manufacturing companies expect to expand their workforces and double annual sales to support long-term economic stability in the region, Mass Live reported.
Industry Workforce Alliance Pilot
In Ohio, five regional economic and workforce development organizations received grants from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. The Industry Workforce Alliance Pilot Grants aim to support programs helping unemployed and underemployed residents find work and launch careers in specific industries throughout the state.
The goal of the program is to align state education and training programs with the needs of major industries established in Ohio. The grants will be used to enhance and expand:
- Classroom instruction
- On-the-job training
- Internships
- Co-ops
The U.S. Department of Labor has provided $729,000 in incentive funding alongside matching funds from the Governor’s Office of Health Transformation Innovation Fund to connect job seekers with skills training and employment opportunities. The grants encourage regional collaboration and economic development strategies to address the needs of local populations and key industries.
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