WILMINGTON, Del.- Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Hall-Long joined private sector leaders at Delaware Technical Community College on Tuesday to announce a $50 million investment in workforce development, including an expansion of the Forward Delaware jobs-training program for industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and additional work experience services for Delaware students.
The investments are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which was championed by Delaware’s Congressional Delegation - U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. ARPA was passed by Congress and then signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11.
Tuesday’s announcement includes a $15.8 million public-private expansion of Delaware’s Pathways program, which links education and workforce development programs and allows students to gain real-world work experience while in school.
Pathways 2.0 will expand the Pathways program into Delaware middle schools, reaching more than 6,000 students. The investment will also grow the Pathways program in Delaware high schools to reach 32,000 students, about 80 percent of all students attending Delaware public high schools. Formed in 2015, the Pathways program currently serves about 20,000 high school students.
The state of Delaware will invest $8.3 million in the Pathways 2.0 expansion - targeting support for workforce development in health care, IT, finance, and engineering. The investments will also expand employer-driven apprenticeship programs that allow Delawareans to “earn and learn” in high-growth, high-wage industries.
Private and public entities contributed major funding toward the next phase of work through 2024, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Walton Family Foundation, ASA (American Student Assistance), JPMorgan Chase, the Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee (DBREC), and the Delaware Department of Education (DOE).
Additionally, the investments announced on Tuesday will support:
- $1.5 million - Delaware Department of Labor Workforce Programs. Training programs will be offered statewide and designed to assist Delaware workers and their families who have been impacted most by the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative will focus on health care, logistics, and transportation.
- $1.2 million - Expansion of Delaware Department of Transportation Workforce Development Academy. Funding seeks to increase the participation of women, minorities, and disadvantaged Delawareans seeking employment in the highway construction industry.
- $1 million - Restaurant and Hotel Industry Support. Funding will focus on training and pathways to employment for Delawareans seeking employment in Delaware’s hospitality industry.
