U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $4 Million to Support Electrical Utility Workforce Development in Mitchell, South Dakota

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $4 million grant to Mitchell School District 17-2 in Mitchell, South Dakota to support electrical utility workforce development in the region.

This grant will support construction of an underground cable equipment training facility on the Mitchell Technical College campus. This EDA investment will be matched with $3,060,303 in local funds and is expected to create 75 jobs, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing the resources needed to create a strong industrial workforce in South Dakota and across the country,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will help provide essential workforce training and development to support a trained workforce in the electrical field and strengthen the regional economy in Mitchell.”

“The U.S. Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support place-based economic development,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs Cristina Killingsworth. “This project will help strengthen the electrical utility workforce, preparing students for good-paying jobs while helping to diversify the local economy.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by Planning and Development District III (District III). EDA funds District III 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.

This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.

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.