ABOVE PHOTO: Congressman Chaka Fattah
WASHINGTON—Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02), a top Democratic appropriator, announced today that the Philadelphia region will receive $3,998,181 to help support the long-term unemployed. The grant, from the Department of Labor (DOL), was awarded to the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund. District 1199C was formed four decades ago as a partnership between the District 1199C of the National Union of Hospital & Healthcare Employees, AFL-CIO, and nine Philadelphia hospitals with the goal of providing educational benefits to union members and the community.
The grants are part of the Ready to Work Partnership initiative that is geared to support and scale innovative collaborations amongst employers, nonprofits, and federal job training programs in order to connect and train ready-to-work Americans with available jobs.
“This grant will provide the resources, training, and support to help hundreds of individuals in our community return to work,” Congressman Fattah said. “Healthcare and social services are a driving force in Philadelphia’s regional economy, and this new funding will allow District 1199C to collaborate with community partners and leverage their expertise as they prepare and train individuals for in-demand healthcare industry positions. I am proud that the Administration continues to recognize District 1199C for their innovative workforce training programs and comprehensive approach to building a high-skilled employment base for Philadelphia and the surrounding area.”
As a result of the funding, District 1199C will expand its healthcare training program through a new Community Health Worker Registered Apprenticeship with local employers including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nationwide Healthcare Services, and local nursing homes. Additionally, the apprenticeship program will help standardize the skills required for community health care workers across the spectrum of potential employers in the field.
The award was one of 23 given out nationwide; in total, the DOL awarded $169,771,960 for the initiative. The support comes as the Secretary of Labor and the Director of the National Economic Council met with human resource officers from leading United States companies at the White House today to discuss improvements companies have made to eliminate the barriers to hiring individuals who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more.
Congressman Fattah has been vocal in addressing the issue of long-term employment. In the House, he has worked with other Democrats in seeking to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and was instrumental in the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that will revamp the country’s workforce training programs and prepare even more Americans to return to work; WIOA contained essential components of Fattah’s Urban Jobs Act.
For additional details on the Ready to Work Partnership visit http://www.doleta.gov/readytowork/.
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