Eshoo Welcomes $2.6 Million Grant for San Mateo

Press Release

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Labor awarded San Mateo County a $2.6 million grant from the Workforce Innovation Fund. The Fund was created to help cultivate innovative approaches to training and best practices in the workplace. San Mateo's grant will be used to implement policies which develop an integrated and innovative workforce reflecting the diversity of job seekers and employers, and the unique spirit of entrepreneurship that characterizes the local community.

"I'm thrilled for San Mateo County and its workforce for this great opportunity," Rep. Eshoo said. "Developing innovative job training programs and evidence-based best practices in our community will strengthen job skills and help put Americans back to work."

Twenty-six grants totaling nearly $150 million were made by the U.S. Department of Labor to a combination of state workforce agencies and local workforce investment boards, including San Mateo County.

The original solicitation for grant applications announced funding of $98 million to be awarded. Because of the tremendous response, the quality of applications received, and the immediate need for additional resources in the system, the Department elected to fund additional awardees in the amount of $49 million with fiscal years 2011 and 2012 funds.

The Labor Department also announced the availability of up to $20 million in the second round of funding to pilot the Pay for Success model. This model represents a new way of financing workforce investment projects where the government only pays for services that achieve measurable results, shifting the risk of investment from the government to the private sector.

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