The Kansas Department of Commerce has been awarded more than $821,000 to develop training programs to prepare dislocated workers for careers in the state’s manufacturing and wind energy industries, officials announced today.
The award comes from the United States Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, which announced more than $17 million in awards to nine state agencies and one community college system that competed to assist dislocated workers. Kansas’ application competed in the “Innovative Adult Learning Models for Dislocated Workers” category, which includes projects that will identify new ways to train dislocated workers.
The Department will use the funding –– in collaboration with local workforce investment boards in Local Areas I, III and V (Western Kansas, Metro Kansas City and Southeastern Kansas, respectively), Cloud County Community College and Hutchinson Community College –– to recruit and train dislocated workers for careers in the manufacturing and wind energy industries. Specifically, Kansas will assemble a training project called Registered Apprenticeship WORKS! to train and certify workers for careers in these industries.
Commerce and its partners have leveraged an additional $215,700 of in-kind resources through equipment, supplies, staff and facilities for this project.
“Manufacturing and wind energy are two critical industries Kansas industries,” said Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary David Kerr. “This award from the U.S. Department of Labor will allow us to develop training that ensures these two critical industries have the skilled workers they need.”
Dislocated workers are defined as those who are laid off from unemployment due to obsolete or outdated job skills.
The Department of Labor reviewed 32 proposals in the following four categories:
Entrepreneurship for Dislocated Workers
These projects will help dislocated workers start small businesses. Selected proposals came from the North Carolina Department of Commerce ($1,605,506), the Virginia Community College System ($1,970,291), the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs ($1,000,000) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development ($2,000,000).
Getting Ahead of the Curve: Raising Educational/Skill Levels of Workers in Declining Industries
The Connecticut Department of Labor ($2,000,000) and Iowa Workforce Development ($1,999,620) will develop strategies to upgrade the skills of workers who are likely to face layoffs.
Innovative Adult Learning Models for Dislocated Workers
These projects will identify new ways to train dislocated workers. The New Hampshire ($1,818,755) and Michigan ($2,000,000) Departments of Labor and the Kansas Department of Commerce ($821,527) were chosen.
Category IV (Unnamed)
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development ($1,980,846) was selected to help former recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families maintain employment and enter or advance within high-growth careers.
For more information, contact Joe Monaco at (785) 296-3760 or jmonaco@kansascommerce.com.
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