WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement applauding news that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded the Nevada Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) a grant totaling $13,818,298.92 to support workforce development in the state:
“Nevada leads the nation in innovation and workforce development, and during this period of economic crisis, the need for comprehensive resources and workforce support is more important than ever,” said Senator Rosen. “This grant funding will help Nevadans to find new career paths, assist in career re-training, and allow Nevada’s workforce to develop marketable skills. This grant will not only help Nevada workers build themselves up from the effects of this pandemic but put our state on a path toward economic and workforce growth.”
BACKGROUND: This grant has been awarded as part of the Supporting and Advancing Nevada’s Dislocated Individuals (Project SANDI). The grant funding will assist dislocated and underemployed workers by modernizing Nevada’s workforce system and expanding remote access to accelerated trainings for in-demand occupations using a digital platform. It will also expand accelerated degree programs and trainings in Nevada’s priority sectors, including: health care, advanced manufacturing, IT, and the use of digital platforms to offer remote training for in-demand occupations. It will also develop an online, self-paced entrepreneurship module that is embedded in training and degree programs in Nevada.
Key partners will include OWINN, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Nevada System of Higher Education, College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows College, Western Nevada College Nevada State Library, Nevada Connections Development Board, Nevada Works Development Board, Nevada Department of Habilitation, Training & Department of Education, and Nevada Grow.
Last week, Senator Rosen and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the STEM Restoring Employment Skills through Targeted Assistance, Re-entry, and Training (RESTART) Act. This bipartisan legislation would provide funding to small and medium-sized STEM businesses to offer robust, paid, mid-career internships, known as “returnships” for mid-career workers seeking to return or transition into the STEM workforce.
Senator Rosen is an original co-sponsor of the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, legislation that would invest $15 billion in America’s workforce training infrastructure and career and technical education.
In April, Rosen sent a letter calling on Senate Leadership to include $15.1 billion in funding for U.S. workforce development in the next COVID-19 relief package.
Senator Rosen’s dedication to workforce development is further demonstrated by her introduction of:
- The Cyber Ready Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation she introduced last year alongside Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). This bill would direct the U.S. Department of Labor to award grants to workforce intermediaries to support the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity and;
- The Advanced Manufacturing Jobs in America Act (AMJA) bipartisan legislation she introduced in January alongside Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). This bill would direct the U.S. Department of Labor to begin pilot projects between local community colleges, state and tribal colleges, local boards, advanced manufacturers, and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers, in order to facilitate education and training programs in the field of advanced manufacturing.
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