WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Thursday $15.2 million in grants to help states implement job creation programs, as the Obama administration prepares to unveil the federal stimulus program for job creation.
The grants will help states and localities implement the “Real Opportunities for Work” initiative, which will support job training and employment training programs for low-income workers.
The $1.8 billion program was established by the stimulus bill.
The program, which is focused on job creation, will be funded through the Department of Labor, which helps states and cities implement the unemployment insurance programs.
The Obama administration announced last week that it was using $1 billion in federal funds to help with job training programs.
The U.D.H.U. program is aimed at helping states implement the job creation initiatives.
The grant program is designed to help communities and communities of color participate in the job-creation programs that were introduced under the stimulus.
The program was created to address the growing job shortage in the country, as unemployment has been at record highs.
President Barack Obama signed the Jobs Recovery Act into law on Jan. 20, 2010, with $1 trillion to help stimulate the economy.
The president announced the funding for the program on Wednesday.
In his announcement Thursday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said states and communities can use the grants to: Expand employment training opportunities for people in low-wage jobs that are not necessarily part-time or part-year employment; provide opportunities for more qualified applicants to apply to job openings; provide support to job training centers; provide job training, apprenticeship training and job placement opportunities for low income workers; expand access to and support for job-training programs; provide training opportunities to students in apprenticeship programs; and expand job training assistance to employers.
According to the U.N. Economic Commission for Western Asia, the job loss has resulted in a significant rise in poverty, as well as unemployment.
More than two-thirds of people in Bangladesh are unemployed, with half of them facing serious economic problems.