U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $14.9 Million to Boost Regional Workforce System in Northern Nevada Through American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $14.9 million American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge grant to Nevadaworks, Reno, Nevada, to develop and launch the Northern Nevada Equity in Employment Project, which will bolster and diversify the regional economy by placing workers into positions in growth industries.

This program will unite more than a dozen trade associations and companies in the information technology, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and healthcare sectors to place workers into good-paying jobs and strengthen the region’s economy.

“President Biden is committed to expanding career opportunities for more Americans to secure good-paying jobs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment unites business, labor, and government for the shared benefit of Northern Nevada workers.” 

“The Good Jobs Challenge is bringing together diverse partners and local leaders to advance workforce training programs across the United States,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “Led by Nevadaworks, the Northern Nevada Equity in Employment Project will bring together employers in four growth industries to create an effective and inclusive workforce development program that responds to the needs of Northern Nevada’s businesses and residents.”

“I’ve been working throughout my time in the Senate to create jobs and help diversify Nevada’s economy, and to do that, we need to make sure workers in Nevada have opportunities to pursue the careers they want in in-demand industries like health care, technology, transportation, and manufacturing,” said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “That’s exactly why I worked to deliver this grant funding to Nevadaworks – because I know it will offer key training and apprenticeships that lead to good-paying jobs for Nevadans and talented workers for our emerging industries.”

This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge. The program awarded grants to 32 worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country. The $500 million program is expanding opportunities for more Americans to access and secure good-paying jobs by investing in innovative approaches to advance worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships.

The 32 awardee projects were selected from a competitive pool of 509 applicants. By partnering with stakeholders such as labor unions, community colleges and industry, these projects will solve for local talent needs, increase the supply of trained workers and help workers secure jobs in 15 key industries that are essential to U.S. supply chains, global competitiveness, and regional development. Through a holistic, integrated partnership approach, these projects will provide tangible opportunities and security for American workers, focusing on serving and supporting a broad range of underserved communities and connecting workers with the training, skills, and support services needed to successfully secure a good job. For more information on the grantees, please visit our fact sheet. (PDF)

The Good Jobs Challenge is part of a suite of American Rescue Plan programs developed by EDA to equitably distribute its $3 billion allocation to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build a better America by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be more resilient to future economic shocks.

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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.