This EDA investment supports the implementation of the coalfields workforce construction training program (cwct), to provide workforce training in a region HIT hardest by the downturn in the coal…

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $685,000 under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program to Southern Appalachian Labor School Inc. on January 26, 2023. The funding will support the Coalfields Workforce Construction Training Program, which will provide workforce training to address economic challenges in a region impacted by downturns in the coal industry and the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the program will offer certification courses for specialty trades like plumbing, electrician, and HVAC technician to help the local workforce gain new skills and promote upward mobility or reentry into the job market. Upon completion, the training program is expected to create and retain jobs, boost economic development, diversify the local economy, and advance long-term resiliency in Kincaid, West Virginia and surrounding areas.

This EDA investment supports the implementation of the coalfields workforce construction training program (cwct), to provide workforce training in a region HIT hardest by the downturn in the coal industry and the covid-19 pandemic. The project will help the region prepare for upward mobility and provide new certifications for those who have been displaced from the workforce or are positioned for RE-entry into specialty trade fields such as plumbing, electrician, or HVAC technician. Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, boost economic development, diversify the local economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.