SALS awarded $548,000 grant to support creation of jobs

Washington, D.C. — The Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) in Kincaid has been awarded a $548,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), one of seven such grants for communities in the state.

The SALS grant, according to a joint press release from the offices of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., will help establish the Coalfields Workforce Construction Training program, providing workforce certifications for displaced coal economy workers.

The project will be matched with $137,000 in local funds and is expected to support the creation or retention of 40 jobs, according to grantee estimates.

In total, the state will be receiving $4,887,325 in grants. In addition to the SALS funding, they are:

• $2.3 million to Preston County Public Service District No. 4, Bruceton Mills to be used for construction of a new well, piping, and appurtenances designed to increase water capacity for several local manufacturing facilities. The project will be matched with $572,000 in local funds and is expected to support the creation of 69 jobs, retain 86 jobs, and generate $6.2 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

• $1.2 million to BridgeValley Community and Technical College, South Charleston, to establish a new green technology job training program in support of a new electric vehicle manufacturing facility. The project will be matched with $288,872 in state funds and is expected to support the creation of 450 jobs and generate $2.5 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

• $376,325 to Marshall University Research Corporation, which supports the Marshall University Research Corporation with the operations of the Heartland Intermodal Gateway Facility.

• $210,000 to Region VI Planning and Development Council, Fairmont/Marion County to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the Region VI Planning and Development Council, which comprises the counties of Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston and Taylor.

• $128,000 to Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council to support the Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council with procuring a contract employee to assist with the completion of a recovery/resiliency study and the update and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for three counties impacted by the downturn in the coal industry in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia.

• $125,000 to Region VII Planning and Development Council, Buckhannon/Upshur County, to support the Region VII Planning and Development Council, in partnership with the Corridor H Authority, with completing a study to focus on the opportunities for future development along Corridor H in the West Virginia counties of Barbour, Grant, Hardy, Lewis, Randolph, Tucker, and Upshur.