Pelosi Statement on Recovery Funds Allocated to California for Job Training

Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement applauding the $9.9 million in On-the-Job Training Grants awarded today to California through the Department of Labor under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was designed to create and save jobs during a time of economic challenge for our nation. By giving individuals a chance to ‘earn and learn,’ this welcome funding will directly benefit dislocated California workers who are experiencing prolonged unemployment through no fault of their own.

"On-the-Job Training Grants will enable those unemployed in San Francisco and across the nation to learn new occupational skills while taking home a paycheck. These grants provide reimbursements to employers participating in on-the-job training programs to cover part of the cost of training new workers. With this targeted funding, employers in the private sector will benefit from the thousands of Americans re-entering the workforce with the skills needed to compete in the 21st Century economy.

"By investing in training the American workforce for the good-paying jobs of tomorrow, the Recovery Act is continuing to generate jobs now and lay a foundation for economic growth in the future. Having already created or saved 2.8 million jobs nationwide, the Recovery Act continues to invest in our workforce, putting people back to work in California and across the country."