U.S. Department of Commerce Invests Approximately $3.9 Million in Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia to Strengthen Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Biotechnology 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 $3.9 million Good Jobs Challenge grant to the Community College Workforce Alliance in Disputanta, to further the Richmond-Petersburg Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Workforce Initiative, a workforce training program to support the region’s advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology industry.
The program will create a scalable, robust workforce system to support national priorities to reshore manufacturers, build a robust U.S. based pharmaceutical supply chain, and resolve the country’s drug shortage crisis by growing advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce capabilities. This project will advance the Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub, which EDA designated as a Tech Hub in 2023.
“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 Virginia 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.”
“As a city councilman, mayor, governor, and senator, I’ve been proud of what we’ve done to grow the Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing cluster and onshore the manufacturing of essential medicines and their ingredients. I’m thrilled the Community College Workforce Alliance in Disputanta is receiving federal funding from the American Rescue Plan we passed to help further the cluster’s innovative efforts and ensure we have the workforce needed to fill these critical roles,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I will continue working to support the APM cluster and help Virginians access good-paying manufacturing jobs in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology.”
“The Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing cluster has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and I am thrilled by the innovation that has taken place,” said Senator Mark Warner. “This funding, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan, for the Community College Workforce Alliance will continue to build on these efforts, ensuring that we have a capable, ready workforce to step into the good-paying, skilled jobs created in the Petersburg region.”
“The Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub in my district will strengthen our nation’s pharmaceutical supply chains, expand domestic manufacturing, and drive research and innovation, but only if we have a highly trained and capable pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce,” said Representative Jennifer McClellan (VA-4). “This multi-million-dollar grant award from the Economic Development Administration will help us meet workforce demands and unlock the full potential of the APM Tech Hub while creating new, good-paying jobs. I commend the Department of Commerce and the Biden-Harris Administration for their ongoing efforts to shore up domestic manufacturing and cultivate a capable, 21st century workforce.”
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.