Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (2nd District of Maryland)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced $48,722,721 in Department of Labor (DOL) funding to bolster workforce development opportunities for underrepresented groups in Maryland and across the country including older adults, young adults with disabilities and women.
The funding is administered through three DOL grant programs.
- Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grants provide training and career services to low-income older individuals who are seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce.
- Workforce Pathways for Youth(WPY) grants help out-of-school time organizations partner with state and local organizations that serve historically marginalized and underserved youth to provide workforce readiness programming.
- Womenin Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations(WANTO) grants provide technical assistance to support women’s participation in fields where they are traditionally underrepresented, such as construction, advanced manufacturing, energy, technology and transportation.
“Supporting pathways to competitive, good-paying jobs through opportunities like apprenticeships and other training initiatives helps ensure everyone can contribute to a thriving economy,” said the lawmakers. “These workforce development programs provide inclusive training options that can serve as a bridge between skilled workers and career opportunities. We’re investing in these efforts led by Maryland-based organizations so that workers here and across the country can reach their full potential and employers can tap into a diverse pipeline of talent.”
The following projects received awards:
- $30,071,551 for the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc., Silver Spring, MD: Toprovide training for low-income, unemployed people aged 55 and older in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public agencies, including schools, hospitals, day-care centers, senior centers in Maryland and service areas across 11 other states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
- $14,640,900 for Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Rockville, MD: To provide training and employment services for older workers in service areas across 10 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
- $3,294,240 for Bridges from School to Work, Inc., Bethesda, MD: Toexpand workforce development services for youth with disabilities aged 16 to 21 across 10 Bridge cities: Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; San Francisco, CA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX; and Fort Worth, TX.
- $716,030 for the Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation, Parkton, MD: To use the state’s existing infrastructure to expand women’s participation in quality registered apprenticeship programs through equity-focused, pre-apprenticeship programs with a focus on the two regions with the highest rates of child poverty: Baltimore City and Somerset County.
“The funding we’re announcing today advances the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of promoting worker-focused training programs that incorporate industry and worker voices,” said Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. “The grants will help enhance access to quality jobs for care workers and people in critical sectors, broaden job training and career opportunities for youth and strengthen public-private partnerships that prepare workers for high-quality infrastructure jobs.”
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