US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez announced Wednesday $474.5 million in grants to community colleges and universities around the country for the development and expansion of innovative training programs in partnership with local employers. The grants are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program, a multiyear, nearly $2 billion initiative to expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade.
The 57 grants announced today will support 190 projects in at least 183 schools in every state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and will expand programs in growing industries, such as advanced manufacturing, transportation and health care to encourage geographic and industry sector collaboration through the development of both statewide and multistate college consortia.
Speaking in Colorado at Front Range Community College--the lead college in a $25 million grant to a consortium of nine schools across the state focused on developing a pipeline of skilled advanced manufacturing workers--Secretary Perez said: "These investments in demand-driven skills training bring together education, labor, business and community leaders to meet the real-world needs of the changing global marketplace. These partnerships strengthen not only the American workforce, but the American economy as well."