U.S. Department of Labor announces over $14.7M in health care career grants

Grants will elevate web support to help highlight career and employment opportunities in health care sector

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.

"The health care field offers fruitful career opportunities, and the Labor Department is committed to providing the required tools for national organizations working to inform and train interested individuals," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Many community-based organizations offering career guidance services lack the required technology to get the job done, and our goal is to increase their capacity through these grants."

Health Care Virtual Career Platform – This grant in the amount of $6.6 million awarded to one national nonprofit organization will enable it, working closely with its partners, to provide web-based services designed to explore health care careers and employment and training options in the health care sector.

Capacity-Building Grants – These grants, totaling $8.1 million and awarded to three national community- and faith-based organizations, will help the grantees ensure that appropriate computer technology equipment is available; establish adequate capacity and speed of Internet connections at all affiliate locations; provide all partners with necessary software tools for pre-training and training activities, including computer literacy, career exploration and career development; and implement training for career coaches and provide staffing resources at the local level.