Workforce partnership to use grant for dislocated worker training at SIUE
County, state, congressional and university figures gathered Tuesday morning to discuss a $1.47 million grant that will be used to support dislocated worker education and training in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congressmen Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, joined SIUE and workforce partners to formally announce the employment recovery grant investment.
Madison County Employment and Training Department has partnered with St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department and SIUE to serve 100 dislocated workers participating in an innovative digital badging workforce training program to prepare them for in-demand occupations such as lab technician, chemical technician and food science technician. Madison County Employment is to administer the program, which rolls out over the next 18 months.
The project is awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as part of the U.S. Dept. of Labor Employment Recovery funds.
The large group gathered Tuesday morning outside the university’s Biotechnology Laboratory Incubator.
Among those present were SIU System President Dan Mahony, SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, Madison County Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Director Rick Stubblefield, state Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Edwardsville, and other local elected officials and leaders.
To learn more about the project, including employer partnership or for details on how to apply, contact MCETD at (618) 296-4445.
PHOTO: Madison County Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann, left, speaks to a gathering that included seated Congressmen Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, right, and Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, center. IBJ photo/Dennis Grubaugh
