NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WORKFORCE BOARDS UNVEILS ARPA PROGRAM GUIDE

LARGO, Md. and WASHINGTON, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), in partnership with the Prince George's County Workforce Development Board and Employ Prince George's (EPG), is proud to unveil a Workforce Development Program Training guide outlining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) policies, definitions, and procedures for the state of Maryland.

The ARPA authorized the creation of a new $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) program, which in turn reserved significant budgetary and regulatory authority with states. Though contracted specifically to provide guidance to eleven local workforce boards in the state of Maryland, this guide is an adaptable framework for every state's workforce development context.

"This product demonstrates the depth of the work happening at NAWB, and the value of that work to the local workforce development boards which make up the public workforce system," said NAWB President and CEO Ronald Painter. "This guide will allow local boards across the country to confidently deploy ARPA funds badly needed for workforce development programs in their regions. I'm thrilled that NAWB was able to step in and enhance the existing frameworks around the SLFRF dollars, and I thank Prince George's County, the Maryland Workforce Association, EPG, and Walter Simmons for undertaking this project."

"Covid-19 is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic with devastating economic impacts. Prince George's County's leadership and the Maryland General Assembly acted fast, invested, and trusted Maryland's local workforce development boards to put our residents back to. We couldn't risk anything and procured the best in the business to guide us with these funds, the National Association of Workforce Boards. Prince George's County has already utilized these funds to place 1,000 job seekers back to work, we are looking forward to putting thousands more back to work, and hopefully, states across the United States will invest in their local workforce development boards.", said Waler Simmons.

Along with an overview of important SLFRF dates and obligations, the training guide reviews, interprets, and expands guidance on the use and purpose of funds; eligible beneficiaries; use limitations; and reporting requirements. It provides concrete examples for the demonstration of these programmatic and regulatory concepts. Finally, the guide includes novel tools developed by NAWB to aid LWDBs in determining permissible uses and recipients for SLFRF funds, including a first-of-its-kind interactive mapping of Qualified Census Tracks in the state of Maryland.

For more information on the ARPA Guide, contact Kyle Marinelli at [email protected] 

Employ Prince George's (EPG) provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. EPG's mission is to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George's County by providing a demand driven system that delivers qualified workers to business and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high demand/high growth industries.
For more information, please visit www.Employpg.org.

The National Association of Workforce Boards represents over 500 Workforce Development Boards that collaborate with education and economic development stakeholders within their local communities, to administer workforce development and job training programs which meet the needs of workers, industry, and local regions. For more information on NAWB's latest work and new initiatives, please visit www.nawb.org.

SOURCE Employ Prince George's