WASHINGTON –
U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and
Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today applauded the award of a $240,000 grant to Maryland by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) as part of the
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
to fund apprenticeship and training programs for transportation-related careers. The grant is part of the Federal Highway Administration’s On the Job Training/Supportive Services (OJT/SS) program to help recruit and retain minorities, women and disadvantaged people on highway constructions projects in Maryland.
“Programs that help improve skills translate into jobs, particularly higher-paying jobs,” said
Senator Cardin. “Our economic recovery depends on making sure that Marylanders — and all Americans — have the skills and training that are needed for jobs in the 21
st Century.”
“The Recovery Act is about jobs, jobs, jobs,”
Senator Mikulski said. “This funding will help people who need a job and can’t find one. And it will help people who want to keep a job or move up in a job but need more training. It is an investment in Marylanders and also an investment in Maryland’s future.”
The Maryland grant was included in the announcement of $11.8 million from DoT in ARRA job training grants for 19 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. Created in 1998, the OJT/SS program promotes training opportunities for women and minorities who continue to be underrepresented in the highway construction industry’s skilled and semi-skilled crafts, such as masonry and carpentry.
An example of the OJT/SS programs is the Wounded Warrior program, which has been adopted by many states to help wounded active-duty military personnel keep job skills sharp or develop new ones while they recuperate.
