Birmingham, AL – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced that the City of Birmingham was awarded a $10.8 million grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to establish the Birmingham Region Health Partnership, a health care workforce training program. Funding comes from the Good Jobs Challenge, an EDA initiative from the American Rescue Plan that invests in high-quality, locally led workforce systems across the nation. This program will build a pipeline of skilled health care and digital health care workers. Through partnership with local health care employers, it will provide access to high-quality healthcare jobs to those communities traditionally underserved, including women and people of color.

“As the only member of the Alabama congressional delegation to vote in favor of the American Rescue Plan, I’m thrilled to see the transformational impact this law is having on our state,” said Rep. Sewell. “This grant will help the Birmingham community continue to build its health care workforce and will be instrumental in our fight to ensure every Alabamian can reach their God-given potential.” 

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to creating career opportunities enabling more Americans to secure quality, in-demand jobs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will help provide women in the Birmingham region with the services and support they need to complete training and be placed into quality healthcare careers.”

“The Good Jobs Challenge is bringing together diverse partners and local leaders to advance workforce training programs across the country,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “With support from the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, this program will provide marginalized communities with access to training providers and employers, leading to quality, good-paying jobs.”

This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge. The program is awarding grants to 32 worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country. The $500 million program is expanding opportunities for more Americans to access and secure good-paying jobs by investing in innovative approaches to advance worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships. The Good Jobs Challenge is part of a suite of American Rescue Plan programs developed by EDA to equitably distribute its $3 billion allocation to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build a better America by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be more resilient to future economic shocks.

The City of Birmingham and 31 other awardees were selected from a competitive pool of 509 applicants. By partnering with industry and solving for their local talent needs, this program is advancing many growing industries essential to U.S. supply chains, global competitiveness, and regional development, with employers making specific commitments to hire and engage with these worker-centered, industry-led programs. Through a holistic, integrated partnership approach, these projects will provide tangible opportunities and security for American workers, focusing on serving and supporting a broad range of underserved communities and connecting workers with the training, skills, and support services needed to successfully secure a good job.

For more information on the grantees, please see this fact sheet.