Indiana Receives More Than $4 Million in Federal Grant Money for Workforce Development Initiatives

indiana-workforce-developmentThe Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has received more than $4 million over the past two weeks in federal grant dollars for significant workforce development initiatives. Yesterday, DWD was notified by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) it was awarded $3.2 million in federal grant dollars to bolster reemployment assistance activities, which Indiana will utilize to help unemployed Hoosiers return to work sooner. Indiana’s share of the nearly $69 million was the fifth largest out of the 40 grants awarded.

On Friday, June 13, DWD was notified by the USDOL that Indiana was awarded a federal grant in the amount of $1,089,913 as a part of the federal Workforce Data Quality Initiative program. Indiana will use these funds to make beneficial improvements to the existing statewide database of education and workforce information. Indiana was one of eight states who received Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant money. The Hoosier state’s share of the nearly $6 million grant was the second largest. Both grant awards represent key pieces of DWD’s ongoing strategy to assist out of work Hoosiers in finding good paying jobs efficiently and effectively.

“The most important function of this agency is the continued development of a well-qualified and effective Hoosier workforce,” said Scott B. Sanders, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. “These dollars are crucial to our goal of helping Hoosiers find well paying jobs as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

More information about both the Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant can be found here. Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Grant information is located here.