U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis has announced a $220 million competition to fund projects that prepare workers for careers in healthcare and other high-growth industries.
"An important part of our nation's continued economic recovery is ensuring that workers have the necessary skills to enter high growth industries," said Solis, speaking at an event here. "Healthcare continues to offer workers opportunities to enter career-track jobs, earn good wages and make a positive impact on the communities in which they live and work."
The competition will result in grants to fund public entities and private, nonprofit organizations to train individuals for careers in the healthcare fields of nursing, allied health, long-term care and health information technology.
Training also will be provided for careers in other growing industries based on specific regional needs. Approximately $25 million of total funds will be reserved for projects serving communities impacted by automotive industry restructuring.
"These grants will help those auto workers who have been displaced learn valuable new skills, while giving them the support they need to find new employment in high growth and emerging industries," said Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers.
Grants awarded through this competition will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, the Labor Department is encouraging prospective grantees to align their proposals with other federal agencies' Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth.
Projects funded through these grants will be conducted in partnership with the public workforce system in order to prepare workers to enter careers in targeted industries.