The Central Workforce Development Region has been selected as a sub-recipient for the Good Jobs Challenge grant, a $17.5 million grant from the Economic Development Administration. Led by the City of Springfield’s Department of Workforce Development, the Central Workforce Region joins three other regions to form the Quadra-Regional Workforce Alliance. Recruitment for participants begins October 1.
The QRWA will serve more than 2,800 individuals with job training and placement opportunities over the next three years, targeting unemployed, underemployed, or incumbent workers within 51 counties in southern, south central, central, and southeast Missouri focusing on historically underserved populations to provide job training and placement in areas such as healthcare, transportation, distribution and logistics as well as paraprofessional education services. The grant seeks to spur economic growth and strengthen the pipeline of skilled workers.
The Central Region will focus on 19 of the 51 counties, including Boone, Cole, and Callaway. The regional partnership between the workforce regions not only encompasses 51 Missouri counties but also strategically follows the I-44 and I-70 corridors.
“This grant presents tremendous opportunity for the Mid-Missouri area by connecting underserved populations to in-demand jobs impacted by the pandemic,” said Amy Sublett, Executive Director of the Central Workforce Development Board. “It is a win-win for everyone and an opportunity that does not come our way very often,” she added.
Stay tuned for more information…