COMMUNITY & MORE ... $10M FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP JOB TRAINING IN HAMPTON ROADS

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

HAMPTON ROADS

Two local non-profits will share a $10 million federal grant that aims to put more people to work in the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced the recent federal award in a joint news release. The grant is funded by the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program created by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The new grant will award $5 million to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council in Norfolk, and $5 million to the Virginia Community College System in Richmond.

The program provides funding for public-private partnerships to create job training programs for infrastructure-related fields.”

– Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine

This means at a time when the White unemployment rate in Virginia was 2.9 percent in mid July, and 5.1 percent for Blacks, unemployed workers may enroll in this new federal program that is expected to reduce unemployment by launching, recruiting and training people in job readiness programs.

“The program provides funding for public-private partnerships to create job training programs for infrastructure-related fields,”

Warner and Kaine noted in a recent press release.

“This includes fields like: manufacturing, information technology, renewable energy, transportation and broadband deployment.”

Warner and Kaine said, “We need to make sure our workforce is prepared, and there are enough skilled workers to carry out these projects. We’re glad this see page 3B funding will help more Virginians in the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions receive the training they need to get good-paying jobs.”

The Hampton Roads Workforce Council operates in Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, and York. It is located at 999 Waterside Dr., Suite 1314, Norfolk. Phone: (757) 314-2370. The Virginia Community College System in Richmond oversees 23 community colleges throughout Virginia, that offer students workforce development services such as job training programs, career coaching and credentialing options.