Clarksdale, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) recently awarded approximately $7 million toward 25 workforce development projects supporting economic development and prosperity throughout the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.
Funded through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP), the $7 million investment will support projects and initiatives that address the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce within DRA’s eight-state service area. This year, DRA awarded grants – ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 – to 25 projects benefitting communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
“The Delta Workforce Grant Program is an essential tool that prioritizes projects supporting workforce employment and training needs in the DRA region,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, Federal Co-Chairman. “As a result of this investment, nearly 2,500 jobs will be created and retained, about 3,000 individuals trained, and over 300 communities served thanks to these initiatives and programming that will strengthen local workforce ecosystems and economic vitality throughout the region.”
The DWP is an initiative designed to build long-term community capacity and to increase economic competitiveness by investing in projects that support workforce training and education programs. The program provides opportunities to recruit, train and retain local workforce; align workforce and economic development strategies; sustain talent pipelines; establish or enhance locally and regionally significant sector-based partnerships; and support enhanced workforce productivity through investments in innovative programming and services.
Recipients of the 2025 DWP include:
ALABAMA
Southern Alabama Area Health Education Center was awarded $300,000 for a training program that will prepare current and future health care professionals for jobs addressing the ongoing need for trained professionals in health care facilities in South Alabama.
SkilledUS was awarded $300,000 for an advanced manufacturing training program that will improve workforce opportunities in Dallas County, Ala.
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Northeastern College was awarded $300,000 for a workforce education program that will build capacity for middle-skilled jobs in Northeastern Arkansas to support global competitiveness in the industrial maintenance occupational field.
Black River Technical College was awarded $300,000 for facility renovations and equipment for a collaborative robot welding lab that will support industry-led workforce training for careers in advanced technology in Northeast Arkansas.
Center on Rural Innovation was awarded approximately $298,000 for a workforce initiative that will provide information technology training and industry-recognized certifications to address critical workforce challenges in Phillips County.
ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois Hospital Services was awarded nearly $292,000 for equipment modernization to support health care workforce training to meet the demands of modern medical practice in 16 counties within the Illinois Delta region.
KENTUCKY
Lifeline Recovery Center was awarded $188,000 for a multi-phased workforce development program that will equip clients with essential tools for workforce readiness in Western Kentucky.
Hopkinsville Community College was awarded more than $250,000 for a workforce program that will expand job training opportunities in electrical, construction and air conditioning technologies, creating pathways to high-quality employment and supporting the growth of these industries in Southwestern Kentucky.
LOUISIANA
University of Louisiana at Lafayette was awarded $300,000 in support of a medical laboratory science program that will address workforce challenges and meet workforce needs in medical laboratory sciences across six South Central Louisiana parishes.
The Boot was awarded nearly $300,000 for a welding program that will provide work-based learning and apprenticeship-style training opportunities for military-affiliated persons located in the 40-plus DRA-serviced Louisiana parishes.
New Orleans Community Support Foundation was awarded nearly $300,000 in support of a regional health care sector partnership that will build training pathways to address workforce needs in Southeast Louisiana.
Strive International Inc. was awarded $200,000 to help individuals secure careers, with opportunities for advancement, in high-demand fields, including health care administration and logistics and supply chain management, in Orleans Parish, La.
For Providers by Providers Louisiana was awarded $300,000 for an apprenticeship program for early childhood educators that will address critical workforce shortages and high turnover rates to strengthen Southeast Louisiana’s early learning workforce.
South Central Planning & Development Commission was awarded nearly $264,000 for a workforce development initiative introducing four certification programs – pipefitter, machine electronics technician, pharmacy technician and ophthalmology assistant – aimed at addressing critical skill shortages across multiple sectors in South Central Louisiana.
MISSISSIPPI
Holmes County Consolidated School District was awarded approximately $156,000 for a comprehensive CDL training program that will address critical work shortages and regional workforce needs in Holmes County, Miss.
Write Your Own Story was awarded $300,000 for a medical scribe training program that will address the critical need for skilled medical documentation professionals in five rural communities of Coahoma County, Miss.
Civil Military Institute was awarded $300,000 for a STEM initiative that will leverage makerspace technology and innovative curriculum, equipping students with technical certifications, hands-on training and career readiness skills to address workforce gaps and foster economic growth in Jefferson Davis County, Miss., and surrounding areas.
Base Camp Coding Academy was awarded $300,000 to provide software development training to new entrants and incumbent workers from North Mississippi for placement in high-paying jobs.
Delta Compass – Washington County Economic Alliance was awarded $300,000 in support of a workforce funding collaborative that was established to meet the skilled labor needs of over 280 employee partners that have clustered in Washington, Sunflower and Coahoma counties around energy usage and advanced manufacturing.
City of Natchez was awarded $300,000 to support ready-to-work programming in computer coding and technology and construction trades in five Southwest Mississippi counties and one adjacent Louisiana parish.
MISSOURI
East Missouri Action Agency was awarded $300,000 to implement an employment training program for the rural counties of St. Francois and Washington, Mo., that will provide pre-employment soft skills and industry-specific occupational skills training in the construction sector, exposing participants to employment in the construction industry and successfully preparing them to enter, or re-enter, the workforce.
Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC) was awarded nearly $298,000 for a medical coding and billing pre-apprenticeship project that will expand DAEOC’s Adult Education and Job Training Center, preparing workers for careers in the health care industry in Southeast Missouri.
TENNESSEE
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Jackson was awarded $300,000 to provide equipment, technologies, renovations and certifications needed for a general construction technology program designed to support economic growth and an influx of new industries in Haywood County and surrounding areas.
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis was awarded $300,000 for a workforce program that will provide city youth, ages 14-22, attending secondary or post-secondary institutions in Shelby County, Tenn., with the skills and certifications they need to qualify for gainful employment in logistics, automotive mechanics, culinary arts, welding or STEM.
The University of Memphis, in partnership with Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi, was awarded $300,000 to build institutional capacity for workforce development in Coahoma County, Miss., and surrounding areas by investing in state-of-the-art training equipment for a newly renovated workforce development center that will deliver targeted, industry-aligned programs for regional employers.
To learn more about the Delta Workforce Grant Program, visit www.dra.gov.
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