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ETA News Release: [05/01/2003]
Contact Name: Lorette
Post
Phone Number: (202) 693-3984
U.S. Department of Labor Awards $2.8 Million to the
National Retail Federation Foundation
Funding Will Develop Retail Industry Career Path
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment
and Training Administration has awarded a $2.8 million grant to the National
Retail Federation Foundation (NRFF) to help employers develop career paths for
employees in the retail industry. The grant runs through February 2005.
“Helping people connect with the workforce remains our focus,”
said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “This grant will help workers get
on the track to better career opportunities and position themselves for better
jobs with promising futures.”
The NRFF and several mall developers have joined with community
colleges, government and community-based partners to provide training
facilities in nine shopping centers around the country. The skills centers
provide customer service and retail education and training for mall tenants,
surrounding employers, and area workers seeking jobs.
The Employment and Training Administration grant will establish up to
six new centers and designate existing skills centers as learning laboratories
for use by the state employment and training system and local employers. Funds
will also be used to encourage employers to use the many services provided by
the public workforce system and its One Stop Career Centers.
“Faced with a more and more competitive labor market, workers will
benefit from the cross-industry customer service and retail sales certification
program that the NRFF grant will implement,” said Emily Stover DeRocco,
assistant secretary of labor for employment and training. “Certification
increases job retention and encourages employer commitment to promoting workers
on an established career path.”
The retail skills center program developed under this grant will be a
model that can be replicated, and will become self-sustaining, using
non-federal funds, within three years.
The research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, NRFF
is a non-profit foundation which conducts industry research; develops education
and workforce development programs, and promotes retailing as a career
destination.
The Employment and Training Administration seeks to build a strong
workforce by matching job training and employment services with current
employer needs through a strong, responsive public workforce investment system
and private sector partnerships.
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