Here’s the news release about Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia’s announcement concerning a workforce grant that has been awarded to the city.
Mayor Jasiel Correia II to announce the Bristol Workforce Investment Board’s receipt of a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund grant award.
Fall River, MA (August 18, 2017) – Mayor Jasiel F. Correia II will be holding a grant announcement in Fall River on Thursday, August 24, 2017, at 10:00 AM. The location of the announcement will be at the Merrow Manufacturing, 502 Bedford Street in Fall River, 3rd Floor.
The announcement will focus on the recent award of $225,000 to the Bristol Workforce Investment Board through the Massachusetts Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) to develop a training pipeline for the region’s textile and apparel manufacturers. The grant will center on preparing individuals for positions as sewing machine operators and stitchers. This intensive training program will be employer based with curriculum designed to meet skill sets required by local companies. Participants will receive simultaneous basic skills upgrade along with appropriate support services to assist in their progression through the program to training completion and employment. Long term unemployed individuals will be targeted for participation in grant activities. The Bristol Textile and Apparel Partnership (BTAP) is comprised of the Bristol Workforce Investment Board, the Fall River Career Center, SER Jobs for Progress and local manufacturing employers.
The public is invited to attend this announcement as two events are planned to occur immediately after the press conference. There will be an information session about the training program. Individuals who may be interested in participating in the training activities will be provided a summary of the program along with the application process. In addition, Merrow Manufacturing has 40 current job openings and individuals who have the appropriate skill sets will be able to apply for employment on the spot.
This project is funded by a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund FY’17 Appropriation grant through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and is administered by the Commonwealth Corporation.
The WCTF requires an occupationally-specific training and placement program that will support members of the populations identified by the Governor’s Task Force in making a successful transition to employment in an occupation that is in demand by local employers. Partnerships funded under this grant program will serve individuals with limited or no attachment to the labor force within the last three to five years.
About the Grant Program: In March 2016, Governor Baker, through Executive Order 561, created a Task Force to recommend solutions to help end persistent economic disparities for certain populations. At the time of the Task Force report, these populations, which include African Americans/Black, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, persons with disabilities, and Gulf War Era II Veterans, experienced rates of unemployment from 7-20%. The Task Force found that individuals within these populations experience complex needs that require intensive interventions for them to be successful in securing and maintaining employment. The Task Force made several recommendations, including using the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund model to support sector-based job training and placement to meet the needs of employer partners and support the employment of members of the populations identified by the Task Force.
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