DeLauro, Courtney applaud $5 million grants for technical skills training

WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and Joe Courtney (CT-2) praised the award of two grants to Connecticut from the United States Department of Labor for technical skills training. The Workforce Alliance, Inc. in New Haven received a $4.97 million grant and the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Inc. in Waterbury received a $5 million grant to provide workers education, training, and job placement assistance in high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing and technology.

The H1-B Technical Skills Training grants give local communities resources to support high-level training to employed and unemployed workers for jobs in occupations where skills shortages exist. These grants are funded through the application fees employers pay for H1-B non-immigrant visas and support programs that raise the technical skills of American workers so that businesses do not need to look outside of the U.S. for appropriately-skilled employees.

"Connecticut workers cannot afford to lose employment opportunities due to a lack of technical skills needed for the job," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Making smart investments in education, training, and job placement will not only have an immediate benefit of matching workers to jobs, but it will also strengthen and diversify Connecticut's workforce. These awards fund strategic public-private partnerships that will move some of Connecticut's unemployed into high-growth, high-skill occupations."

"New Haven's Workforce Alliance will partner with the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board to make substantial investments in eastern Connecticut's workforce," said Congressman Courtney. "This critically needed injection of funds will deliver valuable new skills to employees competing for the jobs of the 21st century right here at home. These funds will strengthen American workers while addressing head-on the dynamic of businesses relying on temporary foreign worker visas."

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