US Department of Labor announces more than $14 million in health care career grants supported by Recovery Act

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Jun 16, 2010, 03:45 ET

Grants will elevate web support to help highlight career and employment opportunities in health care sector

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.

"The health care field offers fruitful career opportunities, and the Labor Department is committed to providing the required tools for national organizations working to inform and train interested individuals," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Many community-based organizations offering career guidance services lack the required technology to get the job done, and our goal is to increase their capacity through these grants."

Health Care Virtual Career Platform – This grant in the amount of $6.6 million awarded to one national nonprofit organization will enable it, working closely with its partners, to provide web-based services designed to explore health care careers and employment and training options in the health care sector.

Capacity-Building Grants – These grants, totaling $8.1 million and awarded to three national community- and faith-based organizations, will help the grantees ensure that appropriate computer technology equipment is available; establish adequate capacity and speed of Internet connections at all affiliate locations; provide all partners with necessary software tools for pre-training and training activities, including computer literacy, career exploration and career development; and implement training for career coaches and provide staffing resources at the local level.

The following chart outlines more specifics about each of the four grant recipients and local areas to be served through these grants.


Category 1: Health Care Virtual Career Platform
Grantee:	American Association of Community Colleges
Project Name:	Health Care Career Central
Amount:	$6,600,000
Key Partners:	National Association of Workforce Boards; the American Council on Education; the National Association of State Workforce Agencies; the Direct Employers Association; the Department of Defense; Jobs for the Future; the American Dental Education's Explore Health Careers; XPAND; Education 2 Go; and ISEEK
Category 2: Capacity-Building Grants: Enhancing the Ability of Community and Faith-Based Organizations to Deliver Virtual Career Exploration Services, Including Health Care Careers (three grantees)
Grantee:	Goodwill Industries International
Project Name:	Good Prospects
Amount:	$3,000,000
Area Served:	84 cities, counties and communities within eight states: Tennessee, Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, California, Louisiana and Illinois.
Participants Served:	Unemployed/dislocated workers, welfare recipients, at-risk youth, ex-offenders, older workers and non-English speaking populations
Grantee:	International Association of Jewish Vocational Services
Project Name:	Virtual Career Exploration Gateway Project
Amount:	$2,894,473
Area Served:	Boston, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Louisville, Ky.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Philadelphia, Pa.; San Francisco, Calif.; state of New Jersey; and state of New York.
Participants Served:	Ethnically diverse populations including immigrants and refugees; at-risk populations; low income persons; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients; persons with disabilities; youth aging out of the foster care system; ex-offenders; veterans; seniors; homeless individuals; and victims of domestic violence
Grantee:	SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc.
Project Name:	Coaching to Care Initiative
Amount:	$2,223,649.80
Area Served:	Fresno, Calif.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Miami, Fla.; Chicago, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Fall River, Mass.; Roxbury, Mass.; Detroit, Mich.; Camden, N.J.; Allentown, Pa.; Fort Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Waco, Texas
Participants Served:	Economically disadvantaged and minority populations

For a full listing and project description of each grant recipient, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor