CLARKSDALE, MISS. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has announced funding availability for the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP), an initiative supporting workforce training and education programs throughout the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. Funding for this program is made available, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden — a key part of his Investing in America agenda.
Approximately $4 million has been made available for FY 2025 to address the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce within the DRA eight-state service region, created in collaboration with community partners and aligned with existing economic and workforce development plans and strategies. Individual grants will range between $50,000 to $300,000 for each project awarded. The funding cycle opened Friday, Sept. 20, and the deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.
“The Delta Workforce Grant Program makes targeted investments in initiatives and programs that support workforce employment and training needs in DRA’s region and helps create pathways to high-quality careers that allow residents to thrive and remain in their communities,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, DRA Federal Co-Chairman. “This year, DRA was proud to invest more than $10 million in 23 projects, providing nearly 2,000 individuals with industry-driven skills training for high-demand jobs across all eight states; and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the workforce and economic vitality of our region.”
DWP is an initiative designed to nurture local workforce ecosystems and to increase economic competitiveness by providing grants to support workforce training and education programs throughout the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. The program supports projects and initiatives that create a more vibrant economic future for the Delta region by expanding opportunities to recruit, train, and retain a diverse and local workforce; aligning workforce and economic development strategies; creating sustainable talent pipelines; establishing or enhancing locally and regionally significant sector-based partnerships; and supporting enhanced workforce productivity through investments in innovative programming and services.
For more information about DRA’s DWP funding availability, please visit Delta Workforce Grant Program – Delta Regional Authority (dra.gov). For questions about DWP, please email workforce@dra.gov.
About the Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.