COLUMBUS, Ohio – Youngstown State University and the city of Niles were awarded Appalachian Regional Commission grants to support workforce training and infrastructure improvements.
The grants are part of more than $6 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission that will be directed toward five projects supporting workforce and economic development in communities impacted by the downturn of the coal industry, a news release states.
“For generations, the hardworking people of Appalachia have helped power both Ohio and the nation as a whole – building strong communities around industries that were essential to our growth,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “As our economy continues to evolve, we have a responsibility to ensure we’re investing in those same communities and the people who call them home.”
YSU will receive a $1.5 million grant to create a Connected Infrastructure Lab at the Excellence Training Center, a regional hub for advanced manufacturing. The project will develop short-term, hands-on credentialed training in numerous study areas to support connected infrastructure deployment and maintenance, asset monitoring and data collection. This will allow students to learn the entire operations ecosystem or focus on a single technical specialty, a news release states.
The city of Niles will receive a $402,500 grant to construct new electrical infrastructure and upgrade distribution capacity to support local industry expansion. The project addresses economic disruptions caused by the closure of the Niles Generating Station coal-fired power plant by modernizing outdated infrastructure and enabling new manufacturing investment and job creation.
The Niles project will serve seven businesses, construct 1,200 linear feet of new electrical pole line and attract an estimated $20,000,000 in leveraged private investment over the three-year performance period, the release states.
The funding is part of the federal Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative to help address coal-related job loss in the Appalachian region.
“A strong economy starts with a strong workforce, and that means giving all Ohioans the skills and opportunities they need to succeed,” Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said. “These investments will connect more people in Ohio’s great Appalachian region with essential training and good careers, while helping our employers build the roster they need to compete on a global scale.”
The Governor’s Office of Appalachia, a division of the Ohio Department of Development, worked with local development districts in Ohio’s Appalachian region to provide opportunities for projects that could qualify for funding and aid in the federal application process.
“The lasting economic growth we’ve seen across our state these past eight years only happens when communities, employers, educators and workforce partners are all working toward the same goal,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “[The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative] brings those partners together around locally driven projects that create opportunity, strengthen our workforce and position Appalachian Ohio for long-term success.”
Grants were also awarded to Access Tusc, $2 million; Shawnee State University, $2 million; and Washington State College of Ohio, $100,000.
Pictured at top: The Excellence Training Center at Youngstown State University.