Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said giving workers access to training to succeed and to the new, high-quality jobs of the future are essential to expand and diversify the nation’s workforce.
Graves made his remarks celebrating the Economic Development Administration’s $500 million Good Jobs Challenge at an event hosted by the Maryland Department of Labor, according to an Aug. 3 U.S. Department of Labor news release.
“We’ve lived through a historic moment. The pandemic changed our daily lives, including the way we work,” Graves said in the release. “American workers are seeking new skills and quality jobs, and U.S. employers are transforming how they do business.”
This project builds on the more than $40 billion in American Rescue Plan funds used to strengthen and expand the workforce, according to the release. That initial investment helped add a record 9 million jobs since President Joe Biden took office.
Graves said he was proud to be with a Good Jobs Challenge awardee – the Maryland Department of Labor. The state agency will implement an apprenticeship model that partners with employers, including seven local unions, Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Crystal Steel Fabricators, US Wind and Ørsted Offshore North America, according to the release.
