The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday announced grant awards to two community colleges in Alabama through the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) program, which is conducted in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA).
The program enables communities within the Appalachian and Delta regions that have been hard-hit by economic transition to develop local and regional workforce development solutions that align with 21st century economic development strategies.
“The WORC Initiative encourages grantees to use innovative, regional approaches that leverage local partnerships and resources to build a strong foundation for long-term economic success in the area,” stated Assistant Labor Secretary John Pallasch.
“We look forward to working with ARC and DRA to ensure that the training delivered through these grants better positions jobseekers to fill the unmet skill needs of local employers, so that workers and businesses can thrive in their communities,” he added.
In the Yellowhammer State, Wallace State Community College received an ARC award of $1.5 million and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College received a DRA award of more than $1.49 million.
A release from the Department of Labor outlined that grant recipients will work with industry and community partners to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality through grant activities that address the specific needs of businesses and workers in their respective communities.
“For rural communities to be competitive today, we must ensure that economic development and skills development go hand in hand,” commented DRA federal co-chairman Chris Caldwell. “Through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities initiative, the Delta Regional Authority enables Delta communities to strengthen workforce pipelines and continue upward economic mobility.”
“Appalachian rural communities must continue to develop a skilled and ready workforce in order to compete, especially those in economically distressed areas,” added ARC federal co-chairman Tim Thomas. “The WORC Initiative is an innovative partnership creating opportunity for rural workforce development, and is indicative of President Trump’s commitment to this goal.”
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) reacted to Tuesday’s news in a tweet.
Excited to announce that the @USDOL in partnership with the @ARCgov and @DeltaRegional has awarded two WORC grants to @wallacestate and @LBWCC. Both grants will help continue the development of a skilled and ready workforce in #Alabama: https://t.co/LQKTOKSFST
— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) September 29, 2020
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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