Brockton, F.R get $0.49M work force grants

WASHINGTON – The states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and the Bay State communities of Brockton and Fall River are among the recipients of $41 million in work force development grants announced by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.
“These $41 million in grants will help at-risk youth access valuable education and skills training, which will put them on a path to job success,” Chao said in a statement. “Investing in a brighter future for these young people and enabling them to access opportunities can make a world of difference for them, their families and their communities.”
Brockton and Fall River each will receive $491,666 to design and implement systems that can connect young people who have dropped out of high school to alternative learning opportunities. The grants are part of the Department of Labor’s Multiple Education Pathway Blueprints program, which is providing $2.95 million in funding to six cities nationwide.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island – along with 14 other states, including New Hampshire – will participate in the $1.6 million Shared Youth Vision Pilot Projects. In the pilot program, the Labor Department and federal agency partners will work with the states to improve employment outcomes by streamlining programs connecting at-risk youths with educational, health and social services.
Both programs – along with Public School District Strategies for Reducing Youth Involvement in Gangs, the High-Growth Youth Offender Initiative and two prison-to-workplace efforts, the Beneficiary-Choice Contracting Program and Area Resources for Community and Human Resources – are part of the Labor Department’s response to the nation’s 30-percent high school dropout rate.
“In regions throughout the country, high-tech, high-growth industries are demanding skilled workers who have the education and know-how to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “Seed money provided today will help young people reconnect with educational opportunities and prepare themselves for rewarding careers.”
For additional information about U.S. Department of Labor youth programs, visit www.doleta.gov/youth_services.