ETA News Release: [December 22, 2004]
Contact Name: Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-3984
U.S. Department of Labor Announces $2.75 Million Grant to School That Prepares Students for Careers in Construction
Grant is Part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative
CHARLESTON, S.C. - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced a grant of $2,750,000 to the American College of Building Arts (ACBA) in Charleston to prepare students for careers in the construction industry. The grant is part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, a strategic plan to prepare workers for jobs in America's fastest growing industries. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Mason M. Bishop was joined by U.S. Representative Henry Brown in Charleston to present the award.
"There is a growing demand for skilled workers in the construction industry," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "Through the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, this $2.75 million grant will enable hundreds of students to become craftsmen and women with these highly sought after skills."
ACBA, a historic building and preservation trade school, will use the grant to develop and test a comprehensive four-year skilled crafts and building arts curriculum. Between 150 and 175 students will be trained in traditional building arts, including carpentry, ironwork, masonry, timber framing, plasterwork, and stone carving. The grant also will support the recruitment of instructors and the design of internship programs.
"Construction is one of the fastest growing industries in our economy and is projected to add nearly 1 million new jobs by 2012," said Bishop. "This grant will attract young people and others to careers in construction and provide training as participants work to preserve history through this innovative program while fulfilling the call of business for skilled workers."
The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is a strategic effort to better prepare workers to take advantage of new job opportunities in high growth sectors of the American economy. Through executive forums with leaders of expanding industries, critical workforce gaps and issues are identified. Solutions are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system. For more information, please visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.
The Labor Department also recently launched the Skills to Build America's Future initiative, which helps build national awareness of the importance of skilled workers to our economy and nation. For more information about this program, please visit www.careervoyages.gov.
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