Penta partners with WSOS on Ready to Work grant
The U.S. Department of
Labor has awarded a $6,122,500 Ready to Work Partnership grant to WSOS
Community Action Commission (WSOS) to train 600 long-term unemployed and
veterans seeking work in middle and high-skilled occupations across 17 counties
in Ohio.The
grant will help individuals reach their goals of education, training, and a
stable job.
This grant is part of a
$170 million federal initiative to expedite the employment of Americans who are
struggling with long-term unemployment. The Ready to Work grant is a partnership
between employers, industry association partners, higher education training
providers, adult career technical centers, workforce investment boards, American
Job Centers, and the WSOS Community Action Commission.
WSOS will utilize its grant to fund the JobsOhio Region 2 H-1B
Ready to Work program. The program will provide participants in Williams,
Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Crawford, Wyandot, Hardin, Hancock,
Wood, Henry, Putnam, Allen, Van Wert, Paulding, and Defiance counties with
career awareness and coaching, supportive services, assessments and/or testing,
certifications in the advanced manufacturing, information technology, healthcare,
and environmental fields, as well as apprenticeship
programs, internships, on-the-job training, and job placement.
The
program will be carried out through partnerships with Area 7 and 8 Workforce
Investment Boards, the Lucas County Economic and Workforce Development Agency,
Penta Career Center Adult Education, Terra State Community College, Vantage
Career Center, Northwest State Community College, Michigan Institute of
Aviation and Technology, and more than 20 employers in the targeted industries along
with several community and veteran organizations.
Penta
Career Center has a strong commitment to workforce development in our region
and is excited to be a part of this initiative, stated Ron Matter, Supt. Of
Penta Career Center.Whether we are
looking at the individual who is in need of sustainable employment, or our
Business and Industry partners who have workforce needs to remain competitive,
our goal is to provide the necessary training to make both successful.
“With this Ready to Work Partnership grant, we will ensure individuals
have the credentials they need to enter and succeed in a new career and advance
within our communities. We are committed to ensuring participants have the skills to succeed,” said Ruthann House, WSOS President/CEO -“This
grant provides a win/win partnership for individuals and employers and recognizes the combined efforts of community, education,
and business leaders to strengthen workforce training and development to meet
the economic development needs of communities.”
For more information
on the Ready to Work program, contact Kerrie Carte, WSOS Planning and
Development Specialist, at 419.332.8263.