Grant crosses state lines for regional job service

YOUNGSTOWN — Job training programs on both sides of the state line have received a $250,000 federal grant to work on joint programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor issued the grant to the West Central Job Partnership, which serves Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania, the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association and the Trumbull County Workforce Development Center.

“This is a bold new start for the entire region,” said Steve Craig, Lawrence County commissioner. “This is ground that has never been broken before. It opens up training, education and work force development opportunities for the entire region.”

The agencies said more cooperation is needed because area companies have employees who work in both states. Offering joint programs will allow the agencies to reach all of the employees.

The joint effort also will include new forms of communications among the agencies.

Activities to be conducted through the grant include the development of a regional system to provide Rapid Response services to workers who lose their jobs, establishment of coordinated business outreach programs, and aligning educational institutions and training programs to meet the needs of area employers.

The five-county region is pursuing a formal designation as an “interstate region work force activities.” It would be the first such interstate region in the U.S.