Labor Law Center Blog » Blog Archive » Alaska $1.8 Million Worker Grant

Alaska $1.8 Million Worker Grant

April 30th, 2008 Posted by Amelia

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced awards totaling $125 million to 69 community colleges across the country under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative.

One of those grants, in the amount of $1,858,528 was awarded to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, to train healthcare workers.

The money goes to community colleges and other local training facilities to help prepare workers of all ages to compete for jobs in high-growth industries. The 69 grants were awarded to the top competitors out of a field of 341 applications in response to a competition announce in August, 2007.

“Community colleges are in a unique position to prepare local workers for careers in high-growth industries,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “The $125 million awarded today will expand enrollment in education and training programs and provide more workers with the skills they need to succeed.”

Community-Based Job Training Grants aim to strengthen the role of community colleges in promoting the U.S. workforce’s full potential. The program was initiated in 2005, with 72 grants. The second round of 70 grants was made in 2006.

The 69 grants for 2008 will benefit workers in 36 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

“Preparing local residents for careers in growing hometown industries is critical to improving the quality of life of thousands of Americans,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell. “These programs will provide participants not only with the skills needed to gain employment, but the change to enter into careers that offer opportunities for advancement.”

The Community-Based Job Training Grants help workers prepare for careers in high-growth industries where skilled workers are in high demand. The program trains workers for high-paying jobs with progressive career advancement. The grants are awarded to community colleges in areas where industries need workers with a particular set of skills. For example, a grant for training in the energy industry may be awarded to a community college in New Mexico near a cluster of nuclear power plants that require more skilled workers.

A number of factors have contributed to changes in the American workforce over the years. These include:

Technology and innovation
Globalization
Aging of the workforce

Increasingly, businesses in certain industries have difficulty finding trained workers. Nationwide, these industries include health care, energy, advanced manufacturing, construction, biotechnology and logistics. In addition, employers in some areas need workers with specific skills, such as the hospitality industry in Crescent City, California and the movie industry in Culver City, California.

More Alaska Community Grants

The Community-Based Job Training Grants increase the capacity of community colleges to provide training in local high-growth, high-demand industries. They achieve this goal through the development of training curricula in collaboration with local industry. In addition, the grants enable community colleges to hire qualified faculty, arrange work-study programs, internships and other on-the-job training experiences, and upgrade the school’s equipment used for training.

The grants assist local schools in training new as well as experienced workers in identified growth industries. The ultimate goal is employing workers or increasing their retention, and increasing employee’s wages, while meeting the needs of businesses within targeted industries for skilled workers.

The grants are employer-focused and build on the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, a national model for demand-driven workforce development implemented by strategic partnerships between the workforce investment system, employers, and community colleges and other training providers. The primary purpose of the Community-Based Job Training Grants is to build the capacity of community colleges to train workers to develop the skills required to succeed in high growth/high demand industries

The U.S. Department of Labor values its strong partnerships with business and industry. Labor Department officials believe that they drive the success of regional economies and assure the nation’s continued economic competitiveness on a global scale by putting Americans to work.

For employers, the Workforce Investment System can be a valuable addition to the company Human Resource department. For the nation, it is a valuable tool to transform the workplace for the 21^st –century economy. Employers can increase profitability through a number of incentives offered in the programs, including tax credits and government training assistance.

These programs can reduce recruiting costs and increase employee retention through screening and referral of skilled candidates while developing a more competitive workforce.

The High Growth Job Training Initiative focuses on job-training in a number of high-growth fields where there are more jobs than skilled applicants. Initially, the program identified 14 sectors that are projected to add new jobs to the economy or fuel growth in other industries in the 21^st century. In addition, some of these industries are existing or emerging businesses being transformed by new technology, requiring new skills for workers. The targeted sectors include: include: Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Automotive, Biotechnology, Construction, Energy, Financial Services, Geospatial Technology, Health Care, Homeland Security, Hospitality, Information Technology, Retail and Transportation.