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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority and the Northern Border Regional Commission, today announced $49 million in grant awards to prepare workers for good-quality, secure jobs in high-demand industries in their communities. These awards deliver on the Biden-Harris administration’s promise to bring economic opportunity back to places that are too often left out or behind.

The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative grants awarded today will support 35 projects across 18 states. Each grant ranges from $150,000 to $1.5 million. 

Nine of the WORC grants – totaling more than $12.5 million – will support communities in the Rural Partners Network, which the Biden-Harris administration launched in 2022 to connect rural communities with the resources needed to create jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic mobility.

“With this investment, we’re not just creating good-paying jobs in rural areas across the country, we’re breaking down barriers that have held back our communities for too long,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “By providing access to childcare, training and support services, we’re building an opportunity infrastructure to help people thrive where they call home. This is about more than just economic growth; it’s about ensuring that every American has the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live.”

“Our Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities Initiative grants will help Americans in the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border regions access good jobs and foster community stability and growth,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez. “The grants announced today will help provide training and supportive services and launch strategic initiatives that pave the way for workers to thrive in meaningful work in our local communities.”

This sixth round of funding follows the department’s April 4, 2024, funding opportunity announcement. The grants will support projects that promote economic mobility, address historic inequities for marginalized individuals and regions, and enable workers to access opportunity in their communities in the Appalachia, Delta and Northern Border regions. 

“Connecting rural Appalachians with career training and employment support is crucial to both supporting industry growth—and ensuring our region is poised to compete in the global economy,” said Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “ARC is proud of our ongoing partnership with the Department of Labor through the WORC Initiative, which gives workers in underserved communities the resources they need to boost their career opportunities and reignite rural economies.”

“Thanks to the funding provided by the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative, our residents will be able to attain industry-driven skills training for high-demand jobs, while helping to create pathways to high-quality careers and economic mobility within their communities and across the Delta region,” said Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins.

“Throughout its work, the NBRC prioritizes investments that create inclusive economies and broad-based economic opportunity. The WORC partnership with the Department of Labor is a critical part of the commission’s efforts to ensure that all residents of our region have access to resources that can improve their economic well-being.  This initiative recognizes the distinct needs of rural communities, and we are proud of the investments being made in the NBRC region this year,” said Northern Border Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders. 

Overseen by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, WORC grants also align with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain investments flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution. 

The department and its partners have awarded nearly $215 million in funding for Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities Initiative Grants since 2019. 

Recipients of grants serving the Appalachian Regional Commission area are as follows:

Recipient

State

Amount

Kentucky Horticulture Council Inc.

KY

$1,466,398

Kentucky Rural Health Information Technology Network Inc.

KY

$1,260,235

Volunteers of America Mid-States Inc.

KY

$1,260,234

Appalachian State University

NC

$1,439,444

Muskingum University

OH

$1,499,641

Tri County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates

OH

$1,500,000

Catalyst Connection

PA

$1,500,000

Green Building Alliance

PA

$1,488,707

Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center 

PA

$1,499,928

Spartanburg Regional Health Services District Inc.

SC

$996,598

Angelic Ministries

TN

$1,499,500

Upper Cumberland Local Workforce Development Board

TN

$1,480,000

Center on Rural Innovation

VT

$1,499,998 

EO Companies

VA

$1,500,000

Total Action Against Poverty in Roanoke Valley

VA

$1,499,607

Total Awarded  

$21,390,290 

Recipients of grants serving the Delta Regional Authority area are as follows:

Recipient

State

Amount

Reid State Technical College 

AL

$1,500,000

Arkansas Rural Health Partnership

AR

$1,200,000

Save the Children Federation Inc.

CT

$1,482,460

Floor Covering Education Foundation Inc.

GA

$1,499,700

NextOp Inc.

LA

$1,499,891

St. Landry Parish Government

LA

$1,500,000

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LA

$1,499,784

electrical training ALLIANCE

MD

$1,499,993

Delta Health Alliance Inc.

MS

$1,499,999 

Tunica County Administrators Department 

MS

$1,074,000 

Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri

MO

$1,438,344

The GradUS Project

TN

$1,134,709

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

TN

$1,500,000

Young Men’s Christian Association of Memphis and the Mid-South

TN

$1,498,559

SHRM Foundation Inc.

VA

$1,497,561

Total Awarded  

$21,325,000

Recipients of grants serving the Northern Border Regional Commission area are as follows:

Recipient

State

Amount

Community Concepts Inc.

ME

$1,182,360

Maine Community College System

ME

$1,237,568

Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital

NH

$1,267,392

Northern Forest Center Inc.

NH

$1,262,512

Rutland Regional Planning Commission

VT

$1,250,168

Total Awarded  

$6,200,000 

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