News Release

US Department of Labor announces $29M in grants for job training, supportive services in Appalachian region, Lower Mississippi Delta

Grants seek to assist workers in energy extraction, related industries

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority, today announced the award of $29,175,000 in grants to 23 organizations to provide employment and training services to regional and local workforces.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the third round of Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative grants – ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million – will fund projects to invest in education, training and career support services in the Appalachian and Delta regions. Recipients will provide services to dislocated workers; new entrants to the workforce, including students or the long-term unemployed; incumbent workers looking to improve their career prospects; and individuals affected by substance use.

“These Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative grants demonstrate the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting the long-term economic stability and opportunities for workers in rural communities, especially those connected to the energy industry, across the Appalachian and Lower Mississippi Delta regions,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration Angela Hanks. “These investments alongside our federal partners link economic and workforce development to support equity, quality jobs and economic prosperity for residents in these regions in this recovery and beyond.”

“It is imperative to prioritize education, training, and career support for rural Appalachians in order to bring the region to parity with the rest of the country,” said Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Gayle Conelly Manchin. “The latest round of Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities grants will help give workers in distressed communities the resources they need to increase their career opportunities. In doing so, this will reignite Appalachian economies and create results that will reverberate throughout the whole region for years to come.”

“The WORC initiative continues to impact economic growth in Delta communities by providing the necessary resources to create a more prosperous future,” said Delta Regional Authority Interim Chief of Staff Kemp Morgan. “The U.S. Department of Labor’s investment will enable 12 innovative training programs throughout the region to prepare hundreds of Delta residents for high quality careers in high-demand industries such as aerospace and defense manufacturing, agricultural technology and renewable energy.”

Authorized by the Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act, WORC grants allow recipients to help their communities diversify their local economies by developing a skilled workforce and providing equitable access to marginalized communities. WORC grants also aim to address the impacts of economic transition on communities previously reliant on energy-related employment.  

The department awarded WORC grants totaling nearly $58.4 million in Sept. 2019 and Sept. 2020

The ARC and DRA grant recipients are as follows: 

 

Appalachian Regional Commission Recipients

State

Amount

Northeast Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization

Kentucky

$1,039,609

Volunteers of America Mid-States Inc.

Kentucky

$1,499,099

Research Foundation of SUNY

New York

$1,484,675

Haywood Community College

North Carolina

$1,196,909

McDowell Technical Community College

North Carolina

$1,498,614

Corporation For Ohio Appalachian Development

Ohio

$1,460,073

Muskingum University

Ohio

$970,227

Ohio Valley Employment Resource

Ohio

$1,451,193

Pennsylvania State University-University Park

Pennsylvania

$1,500,000

Roane State Community College

Tennessee

$987,691

Marshall University Research Corp.

West Virginia

$1,499,410

Total

$14,587,500

 

Delta Regional Authority Recipients

State

Amount

West Alabama Chamber Foundation Inc.

Alabama

$973,709

Advocates for Community and Rural Education

Arkansas

$1,055,250

Arkansas Rural Health Partnership

Arkansas

$1,500,000

Southern Arkansas University Tech

Arkansas

$1,495,154

University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

Arkansas

$1,075,943

Save the Children Federation Inc.

Connecticut*

$1,500,000

Kentucky Community and Technical College System

Madisonville Community College

Kentucky

$1,141,420

Herzing University LTD

Louisiana

$1,500,000

Institute for Indian Development

Louisiana

$500,000

Louisiana State University at Eunice

Louisiana

$846,239

River Parishes Community College

Louisiana

$1,499,883

Southeastern Louisiana University

Louisiana

$1,499,902

Total

$14,587,500

Funding for this recipient will benefit residents in several Delta Regional Authority counties.

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
September 27, 2021
Release Number
21-1754-NAT
Media Contact: Monica Vereen
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