CLARKSDALE, MS – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) recently awarded approximately $7 million toward 25 workforce development projects supporting economic development and prosperity throughout the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.
Funded through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP), the $7 million investment will support projects and initiatives that address the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce within DRA’s eight-state service area. This year, DRA awarded grants – ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 – to 25 projects benefitting communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
“The Delta Workforce Grant Program is an essential tool that prioritizes projects supporting workforce employment and training needs in the DRA region,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, Federal Co-Chairman. “As a result of this investment, nearly 2,500 jobs will be created and retained, about 3,000 individuals trained, and over 300 communities served thanks to these initiatives and programming that will strengthen local workforce ecosystems and economic vitality throughout the region.”
The DWP is an initiative designed to build long-term community capacity and to increase economic competitiveness by investing in projects that support workforce training and education programs. The program provides opportunities to recruit, train and retain local workforce; align workforce and economic development strategies; sustain talent pipelines; establish or enhance locally and regionally significant sector-based partnerships; and support enhanced workforce productivity through investments in innovative programming and services.
In our area, Southern Illinois Hospital Services was awarded nearly $292,000 for equipment modernization to support health care workforce training to meet the demands of modern medical practice in 16 counties within the Illinois Delta region.
To learn more about the Delta Workforce Grant Program, visit www.dra.gov.
