U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced today that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.3 million grant to West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WVUP). The aim of the grant is to boost advanced manufacturing workforce training efforts in the region.
The grant will be used to support the development of WVUP’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility and the procurement of related equipment. The EDA’s investment will be supplemented with $333,837 in local funds. The announcement reflects the government’s commitment to investing in American workers and providing them with the skills needed for quality, well-paying jobs in manufacturing.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stated that President Biden acknowledges U.S. workers as a source of the country’s competitiveness. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Y. Castillo, emphasized the EDA’s role in supporting locally developed strategies designed to create economic opportunities, expressing pleasure at assisting WVUP in preparing local citizens for good-paying jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector.
Senator Joe Manchin commended the EDA’s ongoing support for West Virginia through investments that stimulate economic growth in local communities and revitalize the country’s manufacturing industry. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, as Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Committee, praised the EDA as a crucial partner in expanding the state’s economy, expressing satisfaction that the funding will directly benefit WVU Parkersburg’s manufacturing workforce training programs.
This project is funded under the Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) initiative, which awards funds to assist communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal. The initiative supports activities and programs that bolster economic diversification, job creation, capital investment, workforce development, and re-employment opportunities.
