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    HomeARC’s Investment Priorities for AppalachiaBuilding Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem

        
	
Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
	
			
	
				
	
	
	The foundation of economic vitality starts with investing in people, especially the education, training, and community systems they need to succeed.  A strong workforce not only has the soft and technical skills needed by local industry, but also has access to fundamental supports that keep workers on the job. Reliable transportation, appropriate healthcare, safe and affordable housing, quality childcare, and recovery services for substance use disorder are all required to maintain labor force participation.

ARC grants invest in both sides of Appalachia’s workforce ecosystem – the education and training needed to get Appalachians on the job, and the support services to help them remain on financially sustaining career pathways and contributing to the Region’s growth.




	



Investment Impact    
    
    Fiscal Year 2022      
              $74.2M
      
              Invested in 166 Projects											  


Fiscal Year 2022      
              2,570
      
              Jobs Created or Retained											  


Fiscal Year 2022      
              41,555
      
              Students and Workers Educated and Trained





	


  
Supporting Educational Opportunities and Institutions
          
                      Education begins at birth.While progress has been made,there is still a great needfor morehigh-quality education opportunities forpre-school,K–12,and post-secondary and adult education.
ARC investments support programs and institutions focusing on work readiness, technical skills, and traditional and digital literacy skills that provide the building blocks students rely on to successfully navigate and access education and employment opportunities.





	


  
Equipping Workers with In-Demand Skills
          
                      A strong workforce ecosystem must convene education, economic development, and industry representatives to ensure training meets industry needs and leads to employment.

ARC investments focus on building career pathway systems that help workers develop both hard and soft skills, especially in models that allow them to earn while learning and advancing.

These models include certificate programs, dual high school/college enrollment, credit for prior learning, on-the-job training and apprenticeships, and programs educating youth about high-growth occupations.





	


  
Developing Employment Supports for Appalachian Workers
          
                      In many communities, even if job opportunities are available, a lack of transportation, childcare, eldercare, affordable housing, food,orothercritical support makes them inaccessible.
An additional barrier for a disproportionate number of Appalachians is substance use disorder, which further undermines their access employment and education opportunities; care for their physical, mental, and financial well-being; and contribution to overall economic growth.
ARC investments support the development ofsystems thatprovide the services workers need to enter, remain, and advance in their careers.






	

Evaluation of ARC’s Workforce and Education Investments
							
															From 2015-2019, 383 projects representing $62.5 in ARC investments were completed. This third-party evaluation assess their impact, with includes serving 337,405 individuals and creating 4,572 jobs.
							
															Learn More





	


  
Expanding Access to Healthcare
          
                      Appalachians need access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare to ensure they are ready for work.
However, manycommunitiesdo not have an adequate supplyof medical professionals and facilities to meet physical and mental health needs, and telehealth is also not an option for those lacking reliable broadband service.ARC has a long history of investing in health facilitiesand, through our J-1 Visa Waiver Program,connecting physicians with areas that need care the most.
Looking ahead, our investments willfocus onbridging access gapsandother social determinants of health.





	



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