September 22, 2009

Education Grants Help Workers Learn New Skills

Markell: ‘A talented workforce is critical to Delaware’s economic future’

DOVER,  – Gov. Jack Markell announced that the Delaware Economic Development Office and the Delaware Higher Education Commission are have two education grants are available to Delaware
residents, the Governor’s Education Grant for Working Adults and the Governor’s Education Grant for Unemployed Workers.

“A talented workforce is critical to Delaware’s economic future. Workers need to have the skills necessary to compete in the job market, and businesses need to be able to hire talented employees. These programs offer valuable training to Delaware residents with the goal of increasing education and training opportunities and developing a skilled workforce,” said Governor Jack Markell. “It’s just one example of the work we’re doing to attract companies and grow our economy.”

The Governor’s Education Grant for Unemployed Workers is designed to assist those individuals who have lost their jobs due to the current economic climate and have been unsuccessful in obtaining employment within their current career field/ occupation. It helps qualified individuals with training costs associated with learning a new skill or upgrading their current one.

In order to qualify, individuals must be registered with the Department of Labor’s Office of Employment and Training and have been actively seeking employment for a minimum of 90 days within the period of January 2009 – December 2010. Once the Office of Employment and Training’s Career counselor has assessed eligibility, the individual will be directed to DHEC for final approval.

The Governor’s Education Grant for Working Adults, previously known as the Governor’s Workforce Development Grant, is designed to assist underemployed working adults improve their skills and education in their current career fields and/or new occupations. Qualified participants must be at least 18, a high school graduate or GED recipient, a resident of Delaware and a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen. Participants must enroll in an approved institution for non-credit adult education classes, or part-time enrollment in undergraduate college classes with a course load of 11 credits or less.

The grants are funded by DEDO’s Blue Collar Training Program and administered by the DHEC. DEDO has awarded up to $100,000 of Blue Collar Funding for the education grants.

The maximum grant per participant is $2,000 for one academic year (July 1 through June 30). Grant recipients are required to attend an approved Delaware educational institution and agree to release
99 Kings Highway, Dover, Del. 19901 • 302-672-6826 • http://www.dedo.delaware.gov  grades and academic progress to DHEC. Successful completion of coursework will be considered if the
recipient receives a passing grade of C or GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Schools participating in the Governor’s Education Grant for Working Adults and/or Unemployed Workers are limited to Delaware-based institutions. These institutions have agreed to reduce tuition and fees by 10 percent for eligible participants.

For the list of participating Adult Education Centers and Colleges as well as additional financial aid opportunities, please visit DHEC’s Web site at http://www.doe.k12.de.us/dhec. Click on the link for financial aid.