WASHINGTON — With access to good jobs and stable employment, adults and youth involved in criminal justice system are less likely to become repeat offenders which strengthens local economies and boosts public safety. However, rehabilitation becomes more difficult when a criminal record impedes the search for employment.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. labor market is in constant motion as businesses react to fluid marketplace demands. To stay current with these changes and equip workers with the skills needed to be competitive, job-training programs must be nimble and ready to respond as labor demands change.

Effective partnerships with industries and educational organizations also allow federally funded training programs to align better with the local economy and shift as changes occur.

WASHINGTON — Successful workforce development programs depend on continuous improvement and innovation. To ensure these programs are efficient and effective, the U.S. Department of Labor created the Workforce Innovation Fund. The fund provides the support needed to enhance federally funded employment and training programs and study these programs to identify and share best practices in workforce development.

Projects in 14 states seek to strengthen communities and improve public safety

State: Oregon

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant funding

Total Award Amount Approved: $499,801

Funding Awarded to: Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 100

Funding prepares workers for jobs with growing, high-wage employers

State: Massachusetts

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant funding

Initial Award Amount Released: $980,499

Total Award Amount Approved: $3,214,752

Funding Awarded to: The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 400

State: Colorado

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Incremental Award Released: $637,464

Total Award Amount Approved: $4,609,937

Funding Awarded to: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 230

State: Colorado

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Incremental Award Released: $637,464

Total Award Amount Approved: $4,609,937

Funding Awarded to: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 230

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced the award of a $41 million, five-year contract to operate the Wind River Job Corps center in Fremont, Wyo. Wind River will be the newest facility in the Job Corps program, which serves disadvantaged young people. The center will feature a state-of-the-art energy technology program, the first of its kind in the nation. The first students are expected to arrive at Wind River Job Corps by the end of 2015.

Contract Amount: $41,408,859

WASHINGTON — Losing a job is often traumatic, especially when the layoff was unexpected and through no fault of the worker. For those struggling with long-term unemployment, the trauma can deepen to despair and frustration as finances dwindle and prospects are limited.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the state of Missouri will receive a grant worth more than $5 million to explore, develop, and test strategies that improve employment outcomes for young adults in the St. Louis area.

The funding will expand the local network of American Job Centers and encourage greater collaboration between the workforce system and community organizations to better serve area youth with little-to-no work experience or post-secondary education.

WASHINGTON — In response to recent court decisions that have created significant uncertainty around the H-2B temporary foreign nonagricultural worker program, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security today announced an interim final rule to reinstate and make improvements to the program and a final rule to establish the prevailing wage methodology for that program.

WASHINGTON — For many of our nation's youth, job opportunities are elusive, despite a much healthier national economy. Those with juvenile criminal records often find the barriers between education and career success daunting. Without a good job, these young people likely face a return to prison or a life in poverty.

WASHINGTON — The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed by President Obama on July 22, 2014, is the first major reform to federal job training programs in more than 15 years. WIOA is designed to improve the coordination of employment and training services across federal agencies, strengthen collaboration with state and local partners, and provide Americans with increased access to training, education and other support to succeed in the job market and in their careers.

WASHINGTON — Americans with disabilities face many obstacles in life, including those that make their search for employment difficult. To help remove some of these impediments, the U.S. Department of Labor is working to increase the ability of federal job training programs to serve youth and adults with disabilities through better collaboration and new partnerships at state and local levels.

WASHINGTON — Building a better workforce system starts with having reliable data. With the passage of last year's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to encourage greater coordination between workforce and education programs, states have made important strides to integrate their programs. To further the progress, the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Getting an education and finding career success are plateaus out of reach for too many of our nation's youth. To help at-risk youth reach these goals, the U.S. Department of Labor sponsors the YouthBuild program. The program helps young people who left school early to complete high school or state equivalency degree programs, and learn critical job skills in demand in the construction, health care, information technology and other industries.

WASHINGTON — Returning home from prison can be hard, particularly without the benefits of a stable job. Without employment, the likelihood of recidivism rises. To provide the support, training and assistance needed to find and keep a good job, the U.S. Labor Department today announced a $27 million Training to Work — Adult Reentry grant program — to help thousands of soon-to-be-released inmates become productive citizens.

State: Massachusetts

Type of Award: National Emergency Grant incremental funding

Incremental Award Released: $854,851

Total Award Amount Approved: $1,576,221

Funding Awarded to: Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 300