Missouri Governor Announces $5.1 Million in Economic Development Job Training Funds to Missouri Businesses

August 24, 2007 -- JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt today announced the approval of $5.1 million in state assistance to help 179 companies in the state offset costs associated with training and upgrading the skills of more than 21,000 Missouri workers. The funding was approved by the Missouri Department of Economic Development and its Division of Workforce Development.

“We are continuing to enact pro-jobs, pro-growth initiatives that have helped Missourians create nearly 85,000 new jobs since January 2005,” Blunt said. “The Customized Training Program is a pro-growth approach to improving the education and skill levels of our workforce in Missouri. Missouri already has a strong, well-educated workforce and this investment in the future will help enhance productivity and allow us to be more competitive in the global economy.”

Funds through the Customized Training Program will be used to facilitate skill training for 21,704 new and current employees at 179 Missouri companies. The funds are the latest round of training grants to be released in the state’s new fiscal year that began July 1. Companies will use the funds to pay for training programs customized to their potential industry and local needs.

Training funds were appropriated by the General Assembly to the Missouri Job Development Fund and are administered through the state’s Customized Training Program. The Missouri Job Development Fund provides assistance to new or expanding businesses in their efforts to train employees in newly created jobs and to retrain or upgrade skills of existing employees. The purpose of the program is to increase and improve the quality of the state’s workforce through training initiatives so that Missouri companies can be more competitive.

The program is offered through the Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Community colleges and area career schools will administer the program locally.

Source: Missouri Governor

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