Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have awarded a $281,603 grant to Belmont College through its Advanced Welding Workforce Initiative (AWWI). Belmont College will work in partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College and Ohio Mid-East Career and Technology Center to create the Eastern Ohio Appalachia Pipe Welding and Fabrication Project.
"This project will help contribute to the growth of the manufacturing industry in Appalachia" Brown said. "The investment announced today will ensure Ohioans have the advanced training they need for staff high-demand, specialized jobs in their area and will continue to grow our local economies."
This project will help equip Ohioans with specialized skills required by local companies, including the proposed Ethane Cracker Plant in Belmont County.
The Advanced Welding Workforce Initiative (AWWI) is a partnership between ARC and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to increase education and training for advanced technical workers in Appalachia