Award purpose.worc purpose: in alignment with the JUSTICE40 initiative, the purpose of the worc initiative grants is to create economic mobility, address historic inequities for marginalized…

Award purpose.worc purpose: in alignment with the JUSTICE40 initiative, the purpose of the worc initiative grants is to create economic mobility, address historic inequities for marginalized communities of color, rural areas, and other underserved and underrepresented communities, and produce high-quality employment outcomes for workers who live or work in the appalachian, delta, and northern border regions, enabling them to remain and thrive in these communities. Project title: preparing new entrants to the workforce for sustainable careers in thewater sector in central appalachia.grantee region: ARC deliverables expected outcomes.total participants: 40PARTICIPANTS obtaining new or enhanced employment: 30INTENDED beneficiaries.target population: new entrants to the workforceareas to be served: mcdowell (west virginia), boyd (kentucky), cocke (tennessee), greene (tennessee), and wise (virginia)activities to be performed.summary of project: this project will create economic mobility, address historic inequities, and produce high-quality employment outcomes for underserved workers who reside in the appalachian region, enabling them to remain and thrive in these communities, by increasing awareness of water careers among secondary and post-secondary age students, supporting training of new entrants to the workforce through development of an internship program, and improving the ability of water sector employers to recruit and retain employees. This work will promote the availability of good jobs (core principle 1) by integrating new entrants to the workforce into a career with competitive pay and opportunities for growth and advancement, allowing them to begin accruing experience required for certification. The project will also prioritize equity (core principle 2) by creating opportunities for diverse individuals in JUSTICE40 disadvantaged communities with a legacy of pollution impacts to enter jobs that promote the health and safety of their communities. Program recruitment will emphasize individuals without a college degree and diverse individuals who have been historically underrepresented in the water sector, including women and lgbtq individuals, by recruiting from schools and youth events with a diverse population. The project activities are also expected to support economic transformation (core principle 3) in communities within appalachian across four states by establishing a process for recruiting and hiring interns to water wastewater utilities that will help workers obtain local jobs and remain within the region. Having skilled workers in water and wastewater positions is essential for maintaining community infrastructure, which is critical for economic growth.subrecipient activities. The recipient intends to subaward funds.