Gov. Blunt Announces $5 Million in Skill Development Grants For Workers
January 18, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt today announced that up to $5 million will be made available to job seekers and Missouri businesses who will benefit from the Governor’s Skilled Workforce Initiative through the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED).
"There is no business incentive more valuable than a skilled workforce," Gov. Blunt said. "Ensuring that Missouri’s workforce is prepared for the challenges in today’s global economy is an important priority. The Skilled Workforce Initiative will allow the state’s workforce development system to pursue this objective by building strategic alliances between workforce, education and industry partners at the regional level, where innovation flourishes."
This funding will be made available to cultivate new and innovative projects in which local stakeholders collaborate to create talent development solutions that meet specific business needs in the region and which focus on the targeted industry clusters as defined by industry data by the DED’s Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. The grants encourage the design of skill development strategies that respond directly to industry needs and address local economic and environmental factors.
The initiative will be administered by DED’s Division of Workforce Development (DWD), while Missouri's 14 Local Workforce Investment Boards will administer the funding on behalf of local partnerships in their area. The 2008 Skilled Workforce Initiative maintains prior project components along with seven new project components that are designed to enhance youth skill development with apprenticeships and internship programs as well as to augment and increase awareness of Missouri’s Career Centers and SHARE Network Access Points.
"By developing innovative skill development solutions for regional business needs, we can continue and intensify our efforts to assist Missourians in improving their quality of life," DWD director Dawn Busick said.
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