September 24, 2007

A new $50 million initiative was announced September 6 to help local areas move low-wage workers into careers and meet employers’ needs for skilled employees

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions, a 5-year effort to strengthen and expand effective workforce initiatives around the country, announced ten new grants in ten cities and states. The Fund already has $15 million invested by the Annie E. Casey, Ford and Hitachi Foundations and the U.S. Department of Labor. The Fund is also recruiting additional commitments from foundations, business and the public sector to reach the $50 million goal.

The announcement was made during a briefing at the National Press Club in Washinton to highlight the importance of developing a strong American workforce during a time of rapid economic transformation. The Fund will support local workforce initiatives through grants, technical assistance, evaluations and other services. The ten sites to receive funding include: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

The Fund expects to place at least 50,000 people in career-oriented jobs, leverage more than $200 million in local funding, and provide services to at least 1,000 employers to help them recruit, train and move employees into family'supporting jobs. The Fund has also made it a goal to expand resources and improve the efficiency of workforce development systems in more than 30 regions across the country.

For more information about the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, visit http://www.nfwsolutions.org.