Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.5 Million to Expand Automotive Workforce Training Opportunities in Alabama

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to Calhoun State Community College of Tanner, Alabama, to help build an Automotive Technology Program Facility on the campus of Calhoun Community College. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 219 jobs, and generate $32 million in private investment.

“The American labor force is the engine that drives our national economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The President and the Department of Commerce are committed to ensuring that American communities have tools available to meet the demand for a skilled workforce.”

The Automotive Technology Program Facility will provide entry-level skills necessary to enter into and excel in the automotive service and repair industry. It will expand and strengthen the automotive cluster in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee, enhancing the region’s economic resilience. This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments. EDA funds the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Government to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.