FHWA 18-09
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Contact:  Doug Hecox
Tel:  202-366-0660

U.S. Transportation Secretary Awards $6.7 Million in Training Grants
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Helps Provide Job Training for
Transportation Related Careers in Fourteen States  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced $6.7 million in job training grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in fourteen states across the country.  The grants will fund apprenticeships and training centers for underrepresented or disadvantaged people seeking careers in transportation, engineering or construction.

“Providing individuals with the job training skills they need is key to keeping our highway system up and running,” said Secretary Ray LaHood.  “These training programs will help ensure that the American highway system has able stewards for years to come.”

The “On-the Job Training Supportive Services” (OJT/SS) grants were included in ARRA to supplement federal training programs and to support the training programs of state departments of transportation for highway construction contractors, apprentices and trainees. The OJT/SS program encourages completion of training programs and promotes training opportunities for minorities and women in skilled and semi-skilled crafts.

One successful example of the OJT/SS programs is Virginia’s Wounded Veteran’s Internship program which started in 2006.  The program helps wounded active-duty military personnel keep job skills sharp, or develop new ones, while they recuperate.

Details of today’s awardees are as follows:

State

Recipient Organization

Amount

California

Pacific Gateway/City of Long Beach

$130,000

California

Cypress Mandela Training Center

$55,000

California

Center for Training and Careers

$60,000

California

Asian Business Community Development, Inc.

$73,217

California

Sacramento Employment and Training Agency

$90,000

Colorado

AIMS Community College

$250,000

Georgia

Georgia Women in Highway Construction (Goodwill Industries)

$171,095

Kansas

Northeast Kansas Project

$200,402

Kansas

Wichita Metro Area OJT/SS Program

$224,600

Minnesota

Commercial Vehicle Drivers Program

$286,812

Missouri

Construction Prep Center

$145,000

Missouri

Columbia Builds Youth

$190,434

Montana

Salish Kootenai College

$342,860

Montana

Fort Peck Community College

$334,320

Oregon

Oregon Workforce Development Program

$880,000

Rhode Island

State OJT/SS Program

$350,000

South Carolina

Transportation Careers Training Program

$227,546

Tennessee

Civil Rights Office/Affirmative
Action Program

$800,000

Utah

State OJT/SS Program

$373,890

Virginia

Wounded Veterans Internship Program

$1.2 million

Wisconsin

WisDOT TrANS Expansion-Forward Services Corp.

$195,148

Wisconsin

WisDOT TrANS Expansion-College of Menominee Nation

$200,000

TOTAL

 

$6,780,324

 

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