September 28, 2011

Rockefeller, Manchin, Rahall Announce Funding for Job Training and Workforce Development in Huntington

WASHINGTON, D.C – Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall (all D – WV), today announced that Mountwest Community and Technical College in Huntington has received $5 million in funding to develop programs to help people who have lost their jobs find employment by providing them with targeted job training that meets specific industry needs. The grant, which is being awarded through the Department of Labor (DOL), will enable the college to educate and train more people for high-quality jobs and start new careers in fields ranging from transportation to health care and other high-tech professions. 

“If we’re serious about getting our economy back on track, then we’ve got to get people back to work,” said Rockefeller. “This funding will help the people who need it most by providing them with quality training that will help them land high-tech, good-paying jobs.”  

“With so many people looking for work, it just makes sense to help prepare West Virginians for the jobs that are open,” Senator Manchin said. “Too many jobs have been lost to free trade, and I believe that these grants will help train the hard workers of our great state for new careers. I’ve always said that it’s important to connect community colleges, our employers and those who are looking for rewarding work, and these grants do just that.” 

“This is a practical approach to serving the current and future needs of our region’s business and industry,” said Rahall.  “It not only makes a lot of sense, it makes a lot of dollars as well, for employers and employees.  Investing in education and workforce training promotes innovation in our economy and prepares our workers for cutting-edge jobs

Background

Mountwest Community and Technical College will provide unemployed and dislocated workers with resources to obtain certificates and degrees in high-tech fields, including: peer coaches, professional counselors, and faculty mentors who will work in cross?functional teams to ensure student progress; student learning communities, which will be fostered using group?based education and collaborative learning models; and employers, who will be engaged through regional industry sector partnerships to provide cooperative education, internship, and on?the?job training opportunities for students.

West Virginia will also be positively impacted by a similar grant awarded to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in Ohio.  The funding will support workers in Cabell, Mingo, and Wayne Counties for employment in the health care industry.

These grants are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) initiative. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act included a total of $2 billion for this four-year initiative. Through these grants, schools will be able to expand their capacity to put more people into high-quality jobs and start new careers in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing and transportation to health care and STEM.

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