DOL Announces $220 Million Competition to Fund Careers in Health Care
During a visit to the Shawnee County Community Health Center as a stop on the Obama administration's Rural Tour, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis yesterday announced a $220 million competition to fund projects that prepare workers for careers in the health care 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," Solis said. "Health care 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 announced yesterday will result in grants to fund public entities and private, nonprofit organizations to train individuals for careers in the health care 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.
Grants awarded through this competition will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, DOL 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.
A notice of the grant solicitation appears in today's edition of the Federal Register, available at www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and www.grants.gov.