The Commission of Indian Affairs and three of North Carolina’s tribes and three associations have been awarded a total of more than $1.7 million in federal grants through the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program. These grants will support job training and placement services for adults and at-risk youth.
I know firsthand the importance of these grants because I am a product of the first allocation of program funds to the Commission in 1975, the year I was hired. Little did I know that learning how to manage the grant activities of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Program, as it was then known, would help me develop the skill set necessary in my current role as Commission Director.
These programs provide quality employment and training services specifically for American Indians ages 14 and older who are unemployed, underemployed and low-income individuals. They specifically target at-risk individuals facing substantial employment barriers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Grants will support workforce activities “in both the development of their local economies and the preparation of workers to meet the needs of promising regional industries,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “The training and employment services made available through these grants will expand opportunities for adults and at-risk youth in these communities and will help them gain access to the kind of good jobs that offer opportunities for advancement.”
Thirty-five years ago, this sort of opportunity set me on a path toward career success. Today, the Commission renews its pledge to create similar opportunities for members of our community who need a helping hand to reach their own career goals.