$1.3M for electric vehicle battery worker recruitment in Jeffersonville among $2M in ODJFS workforce development grants
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder announced Wednesday that the agency will provide nearly $2 million in workforce development grants for a variety of special projects.
These include nearly $1.3 million for an electric vehicle worker recruitment center in Fayette County. The center will help Honda and LG Energy Solution hire 2,200 employees for a new lithium-ion battery plant under construction in Jeffersonville.
“As more businesses continue to expand in Ohio, investing in our workforce becomes even more important,” Damschroder said. “This funding will help employers build highly skilled workforces, and it will help Ohioans pursue rewarding careers in new and growing industries.”
The following local workforce areas and projects will receive funding:
Area 1 – Adams, Brown, Pike and Scioto counties
Amount: $250,000
Project: Broadband apprenticeship
Purpose: To help the Electrical Training Academy launch a new three-year Registered Apprenticeship program to train workers for careers in the broadband industry. Individuals with substance use histories who complete a related pre-apprenticeship program will be referred.
Area 7 – 43 Counties
Amount: $1.3 million
Project: Electric vehicle worker recruitment
Purpose: To help Honda and LG Energy Solution recruit 2,200 employees for a new lithium-ion battery plant under construction in Jeffersonville. The funding will support a new recruitment and training center at the Destination Outlets shopping mall in Fayette County.
Area 14 – Athens, Meigs and Perry counties
Amount: $24,000
Project: Career exploration virtual reality equipment for high schoolers
Purpose: To purchase 15 virtual reality headsets, pre-loaded with 10 health care and 10 skilled trades videos, for 1,000 students in four school districts.
Area 15 – Monroe, Morgan, Noble and Washington counties
Amount: $200,000
Project: Incumbent worker training
Purpose: To help 12 employers upskill more than 250 employees.
Statewide – Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Collaboration
Amount: $200,000
Project: Employment services for incarcerated individuals and restored citizens
Purpose: To support 10 OhioMeansJobs Centers in adult and youth correctional facilities.
Statewide – Department of Youth Services Collaboration
Amount: $30,000
Project: Career exploration virtual reality equipment
Purpose: To purchase virtual reality headsets to help youth in correctional facilities explore career options.
For more information on the local workforce area projects, please contact your local workforce development board director.
Local workforce development areas share similar geographic, industrial, educational and other regional economic factors. They help oversee local OhioMeansJobs Centers, which offer a variety of free employment services for Ohioans looking for work and employers seeking workers.
Every county in Ohio has an OhioMeansJobs Center. To find the center near you, visit OhioMeansJobs.com and select “FIND A JOB CENTER” at the bottom of the page.