New Orleans Business Alliance awarded $450K workforce grant
Lance Traweek, Editor//July 21, 2023
The Delta Regional Authority has awarded the New Orleans Business Alliance a two-year $450,000 grant under its Delta Workforce Grant Program. The grant is meant to support the organization’s green infrastructure workforce training collaborative.
The initiative started under JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s AdvancingCities Challenge.
“NOLABA and the DRA both recognize the significant future impact of the green infrastructure industry in New Orleans,” Louis David, interim president & CEO of NOLABA, said in a news release. “This grant will allow us to expand the work we’ve already started and increase green infrastructure job opportunities for our city’s residents and small businesses.”
“NOLABA will use the Delta Workforce Grant Program to convene a network of training providers and employers in the green infrastructure industry to expand opportunities for entry-level positions, support skill-building and identify high-growth career pathways,” the news release reads. “Through collaboration between educators, practitioners, and employers, NOLABA aims to build visibility and clarity around the relevant skills needed for roles in the green infrastructure industry while training an equitable workforce.”
DWP supports workforce training and education programs that establish a more vibrant economic future for the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. Through AdvancingCities New Orleans, NOLABA has worked with agencies and community stakeholders to develop and lead programs and strategies that invest in the city’s green infrastructure industry. NOLABA recently announced the AdvancingCities Greenhouse Program, which offers industry training and job placement assistance to unemployed and underemployed individuals.
“The Delta Workforce Grant Program makes targeted investments in initiatives and programs that support workforce employment and training needs in DRA’s region and helps create pathways to high-quality careers that allow residents to thrive and remain in their communities,” Dr. Corey Wiggins, federal co-chairman of DRA, said in a news release. “As a result of our investment in the New Orleans Business Alliance’s collaborative, more than 450 individuals are projected to receive industry-driven skills training for high-demand jobs within clean infrastructure, helping to strengthen New Orleans’ workforce ecosystem and environmental sustainability.”
This is the DRA’s first grant opportunity awarded to NOLABA in the organization’s history. The DRA joins other federal government initiatives, including the Economic Development Authority, in supporting NOLABA’s work to increase economic opportunity.
