Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird joined Lancaster County and community partners on Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan by awarding about $12 million in grants to six local agencies for workforce development over the next three years.
This funding must be spent in the next three years and may not be used for tax relief or pension funding. To date, ARP funds have provided nearly $7 million in assistance to over 250 small businesses, representing over 2,800 employees. County dollars have provided funding to 30 nonprofits to help meet basic needs like food, housing, utilities, mental health, childcare, racial equity, and victim safety.
Additional funding will be used to enhance public health, rural water service, and broadband development. The local agencies receiving the grant funding are:
- Bryan Health will receive over $1 million for 125 participants a year to receive Certified Nursing Assistant or Phlebotomy training.
- The Center for People In Need will receive almost $600,000 to train 40 students a year in the Google Career Certificate Program.
- Community Action will receive about $1 million to provide Child Development Associate Credential training to 30 participants a year.
- Lincoln Manufacturing will receive about $2 million to provide two types of classes. Fourteen Manufacturing Certification 1 classes will be offered to 225 participants over three years. Twelve Manufacturing Certification 2 classes will be offered to 200 participants.
- Rabble Mill will receive about $2 million for its Workforce Readiness Program and to fund building improvements.
- Southeast Community College will receive about $4.5 million for a new STEM center to provide training in information technology, manufacturing, and welding and to develop an innovative approach to rapid retraining of the community’s workforce.