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Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden and Commissioners Court were on the receiving end of a hefty grant courtesy of Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, (WSRCA).
A check, to the amount of $752,400, was presented to the court on Oct. 10 to be used to cover training in CDL, Healthcare and Skilled Trades to benefit local employers.
“We’re excited to add Caldwell County to the REINVEST grant,” said WSRCA CEO Paul Fletcher. “This expansion provides us with more resources to bolster those efforts by growing our local talent supply chain to build a stronger workforce pipeline into these key industries and continue providing Texans with the opportunity to forge a sustainable career path to support their families.”
The Good Jobs Challenge is part of a suite of American Rescue Plan programs developed by EDA to equitably distribute its $3 billion allocation to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build a better America by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building more resilient, shockproof local economies.
The REINVEST program will bridge the gap of rural workers struggling to access quality training and support systems they need to thrive. It will link various resources and stakeholders to transform how industries recruit, train and place workers into high-quality jobs.
“The REINVEST grant of $752,400 awarded to Caldwell County will bolster the County’s plans to provide skill training opportunities to local residents who desire to better their lots in life,” said County Judge Hoppy Haden. “Having workforce training venues will help attract new industries into the County as well as provide existing industries workforce enhancements.”
Understanding the importance of person-to-person relationships and local community expertise, REINVEST will partner with Smithville Workforce Training Center and local employers to create industry sector partnerships to address the lack of skilled talent for these growing industries and an insufficiently built out workforce training and support system.
“A trained workforce is essential to ensuring that the United States can compete and succeed in the 21st century,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, in a statement. “Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Commerce Department is able to make once-in-a-generation investments in industry- driven, and locally led workforce systems that will create high-quality jobs and accelerate regional economic growth, especially for underserved communities.”
