U.S. Department of Commerce Invests Approximately $1 Million in Alaska to Strengthen Natural Disaster Mitigation and Response Workforce Training Program Through Good Jobs Challenge
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, edamedia@eda.gov
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding an approximately $1 million Good Jobs Challenge grant to the Alaska Municipal League in Juneau, to further The Alaska Municipal Disaster Response and Mitigation Partnership, a workforce training program to support the region’s natural disaster mitigation and response industry.
The program will focus on training Alaska Natives and rural residents in critical skills for natural disaster response and mitigation with an emphasis on advanced data management and disaster planning technologies.
“The Good Jobs Challenge underscores the intent and impact of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda by strengthening and empowering America’s workforce, securing their future, and ensuring the United States remains globally competitive,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Building off its previous success, the Good Jobs Challenge is expanding into more communities across the country with a focus on industries that will define the 21st century economy. These investments will train American workers for industries of the future, empower them with the tools they need to secure good-paying jobs, and lift up communities in Alaska that have too often been overlooked or left behind.”
The Good Jobs Challenge is awarding its second phase of funding, investing $25 million into workforce systems and industry-led partnerships, providing new opportunities and training for America’s workforce to develop in-demand skills that meet the needs of today’s employers and lead to good-paying jobs. Initially funded by $500 million from the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan, the program is concluding its second year of implementation and has trained and placed more than 12,000 American workers into good jobs.
“Training a workforce that meets industry demands is a key component to growing and strengthening local and regional economies,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “The new Good Jobs Challenge awardees will build upon the success of our first-round grantees in putting thousands of Americans to work in industries that make our country stronger, safer, and more prosperous.”
Read more about the Good Jobs Challenge at eda.gov.
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.