Workforce Board awards $1.75M in Innovative Partnership grants

THE GOVERNOR'S WORKFORCE Board has awarded $1.75 million to 13 organizations to fund training programs for 460 trainees. Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, shown above speaking at a Workforce Board meeting in May, said such public-private partnerships are
THE GOVERNOR'S WORKFORCE Board has awarded $1.75 million to 13 organizations to fund training programs for 460 trainees. Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, shown above speaking at a Workforce Board meeting in May, said such public-private partnerships are "a key component of the infrastructure of a sound economy." / COURTESY GOV. LINCOLN D. CHAFEE'S OFFICE

PROVIDENCE – The Governor’s Workforce Board has awarded $1.75 million in Innovative Partnership grants ranging in size from $86,000 to $196,000 to 13 organizations.
The grants will serve 460 participants in training programs statewide. Of those, 406 are expected to gain work experience and/or internship opportunities, while as many as 322 could find permanent work related to that training, said GWB Executive Director Rick Brooks.
Award winners include AccessPoint RI, Connecting for Children and Families, Foster Forward, The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, New England Institute of Technology, OpenDoors, UNAP RIH Education Fund-Stepping Up, The Providence Plan/Building Futures, Rhode Island Hospital, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, Saint Antoine Residence and Year Up.
Five of the 13 grant winners – which include community-based organizations, three employers, three GWB partners and one educational institution – are new. The eight others had previously earned grants from GWB for use in fiscal year 2014.
About 60 employers are participating in the training programs, Brooks added.
“A key component of the infrastructure of a sound economy is public-private partnerships,” said Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee. “These important new and continuing Innovative Partnerships are another sign that our strategic focus on workforce development is paying off. Investing in workforce development is always a smart investment.”
People interested in being considered for the programs should contact the organizations directly, since they will be recruiting participants on their own.
“The diversity of programs by sectors, types of training and populations served shows the breadth of our efforts to address the skills gaps in our workforce,” Brooks said.

No posts to display