Pennsylvania will make available up to $4 million in Strategic Innovation Grants to help communities address employment barriers, according to Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak.
Common employment barriers include age; basic skills deficiency and low literacy; disability; homelessness and housing insecurity; language and cultural barriers; mental health challenges; poverty and low income; substance use disorder; transitioning out of the military; and transitioning off public assistance.
Eligible applicants include economic development entities, business associations, labor organizations, education and post-secondary organizations, local workforce development boards, non-profit and non-governmental entities, and community-based organizations.
Recipients would receive up to $300,000
“Despite Pennsylvania’s strong economy and historically high employment, not all Pennsylvanians are sharing in this prosperity,” Oleksiak said. “Gov. (Tom) Wolf knows the importance of identifying and removing obstacles that prevent workers from getting good jobs and businesses from finding more skilled employees. Breaking down employment barriers is good for workers, employers, and our economy, and is one of the main reasons the governor created the Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center.”
The application deadline is March 27, and grants will be awarded in May.
Nearly $3.5 million in Strategic Innovation Grant funds were awarded in 2018, helping more than 5,000 people.