The United States, focusing on the Appalachian (13 states), Lower Mississippi Delta (eight states) and Northern Border regions (four states)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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Initiative<\/strong><\/td>\n
The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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Program snapshot<\/strong><\/td>\n
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor\u2019s Employment and Training Administration partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority \u2014 two regional economic development agencies \u2014 to launch the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC)<\/em> Initiative. In 2023, the initiative expanded to include the Northern Border Regional Commission. Since its launch, six rounds of grants have invested over $209 million in 158 projects. The initiative awards grants to locally administered, place-based workforce development projects in rural communities that are grappling with long-term economic distress linked to the decline of traditional industries, such as coal mining, forestry and manufacturing. In 2024, the initiative\u2019s sixth funding round expanded eligibility for so-called energy communities, including those with brownfields and areas with a coal-plant or -mine closure, to link rural workforce development with decarbonization goals. The WORC Initiative<\/em> supports projects that identify and address regional workforce needs and boost local employers\u2019 competitiveness. Its goal is to help communities retain residents by connecting them to family-sustaining, in-demand and quality jobs through career training and supportive services. Examples of funded projects include locally delivered upskilling and retraining programs, vocational training and apprenticeships, career counselling and entrepreneurship support, short-term certification and qualification programs and initiatives to build employment pipelines with local employers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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Sector focus<\/strong><\/td>\n
Projects are driven by local conditions and priorities. The 158 grant projects to date span sectors such as health care, trade, information technology, aviation, manufacturing, aerospace, clean energy and agricultural technology.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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Time frame<\/strong><\/td>\n
Launched in 2019, the WORC Initiative<\/em> completed six grant rounds between 2019 and 2024. A seventh round is currently under development.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Location The United States, focusing on the Appalachian (13 states), Lower Mississippi Delta (eight states) and Northern Border regions (four states) Initiative The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative Program snapshot In 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor\u2019s Employment and Training Administration partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority \u2014 two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":21541,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21548","research-studies","type-research-studies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n
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