Digital News Report – The U.S. Department of Labor is granting a Regional National Emergency Grant of $8,197,664 to Tulare County, California, on behalf of the nine Workforce Investment Boards that make up the San Joaquin Valley, including Fresno Workforce Investment Board, Kern/Inyo/Mono Workforce Investment Board, Kings County Job Training Office, Madera County Workforce Investment Board, Merced Workforce Investment Board, Mother Lode Workforce Investment Board, San Joaquin Workforce Investment Board, Stanislaus County Alliance Worknet and the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board.
“This funding will go directly to both train workers for emerging energy jobs and help put thousands of Californians in the San Joaquin Valley back to work over the next year,” said Senior Advisor and California Recovery Task Force Director Herb K. Schultz. “This funding will directly benefit one of most economically hard hit areas of California and provide a much needed economic lifeline.”
The funds are being made available under the Recovery Act and will be used to provide job training and reemployment services for estimated 1,439 workers affected by current and projected layoffs within the San Joaquin Valley.
“This money will greatly help in getting laid-off workers in the region the training and benefits they need so they can get back to work as quickly as possible,” said Victoria Bradshaw, Secretary, Labor and Workforce Development Agency. “The nine workforce investment boards of the Valley have been diligent in their efforts to bring this new funding, available through the Recovery Act, back to the region. We thank them for their efforts and the U.S. Department of Labor for recognizing the extreme need in the Valley and for granting the funding request.”
The geographic areas covered by this funding are: the counties of Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.
Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama’s administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.
Staff Reports