Five new Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE awards, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will bolster workforce development and capacity across eight states.
Washington, D.C., December 3, 2024 – Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded $14.5 million to five collaborative, multi-state projects that will drive large-scale economic transformation. Funded through ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), these projects bring together 40 partners in eight Appalachian states to strengthen workforce development, job and skills training, and capacity building opportunities.
ARISE grantees announced today include:
- $7,030,989 to Mountain State Educational Services Cooperative to launch an innovative workforce simulation model in middle schools in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
- $3,980,996 to Morehead State University to build the aerospace workforce in Kentucky and West Virginia.
- $2,870,702 to Thrive Regional Partnership to expand three collaborative capacity building programs in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
- $500,000 to Washington Greene County Job Training Agency, Inc. to expand apprenticeship opportunities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
- $192,050 to HealthPath Foundation of Ohio to build the oral health workforce and improve access to oral healthcare in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“When we talk about workforce development, what we’re really talking about is ensuring a robust economic future for our Appalachian people,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “By investing in job training and capacity building, this latest round of ARISE grants will not only help our Appalachian neighbors obtain employment and grow their careers, but do so while continuing to live in the places they love.”
With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ARC has now invested $136.3 million in 51 ARISE projects to support the development of new economic opportunities across all 13 Appalachian states.
To learn more about the new ARISE grantees, visit https://www.arc.gov/grants-and-opportunities/arise/arise-project-summaries/.
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.