March 3, 2010
 
Rahall Touts Federal Funds to Build Jobs
Huntington, Princeton, Beckley, Welch, Summersville, Logan, and Williamson in line for Federal Funds to Expand and Upgrade Job training
 
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
 
Washington, DC (HNN) – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) announced Tuesday, March 2, 2010 $1.9 million in federal funds awarded to Workforce West Virginia to upgrade and expand its One-Stop Career Centers across southern West Virginia, including centers in Huntington, Princeton, Beckley, Welch, Summersville, Logan, and Williamson.
 
“Career Centers can help West Virginians get jobs -- especially with this expanded broadband access and computer upgrades to improve job searching capabilities and enhance skills for many of our citizens without readily available internet access or other vital job related resources,” said Rahall. “I voted for these stimulus funds because we need jobs and access to jobs. These funds in combination with “Future Generations” effort to create computer centers in fire stations opens doors of opportunities in our communities and better access to jobs and job skills.”
 
The federal funds will upgrade 20 Workforce West Virginia One-Stop career centers and provide high speed Internet access and critical job training services for the unemployed, low-income and other residents throughout the state. This project will replace 165 computer workstations and add 80 new workstations. The funding will also allow each center to remain open for an average of six hours more per week and is expected to attract almost 2,300 additional users. Both funding awards were made possible through the Recovery and Reinvestment Act which Rahall strongly supported.
 
The $1.9 million awarded for Workforce West Virginia’s One-Stop Public Computer Center Modernization project is in addition $4.4 million that was recently awarded for Future Generations’ Equipping West Virginia’s Fire and Rescue Squads Project, which will equip sixty fire stations, 30 across 12 counties in the first year, with computer facilities and broadband access. The fire stations will be in several counties with several stations getting computer facilities in Mingo, McDowell, Wyoming, Boone, Pocahontas, and Fayette counties. Both types of centers will improve computer and internet accessibility and provide training sessions to the general public.
 
“In West Virginia we believe in the ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ effort, and these centers help West Virginians to help themselves by providing the resources and assistance to gain the skills they need to get the jobs they want,” said Rahall. “Knowledge is a powerful commodity and the career center upgrades and fire department computer centers ultimately provide self empowerment.”
 
For further information about the career center services please contact Workforce West Virginia at http://www.workforcewv.org/ or call the Beckley Workforce West Virginia office toll free at 866-253-1214.