Chattanooga receives $500,000 grant for workforce strategies from USEDA

The city of Chattanooga is one of 24 cities that has received a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). The $500,000 strategy development planning grant is intended to analyze and develop strategies around improving workforce outcomes in underserved neighborhoods. The city of Chattanooga is working with County, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Chattanooga 2.0, the Benwood Foundation, and the Bethlehem Center on the project. Using this grant, the City of Chattanooga will analyze the root causes of systemic barriers to quality economic and workforce opportunities in key neighborhoods in South Chattanooga and East Lake. As part of the federal Recompete Pilot Program, the city of Chattanooga will work with key partners in developing strategies to address barriers including access to childcare, transportation, and access to workforce training and education programs. Chattanooga is also one of 22 finalists for USEDA’s recompete Implementation Grant, which is worth up to $50 million. The city of Chattanooga is actively engaged in the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Great Jobs Challenge, a peer-learning cohort program focused on accelerating city efforts to design, develop, and launch a workforce initiative to build pathways for underrepresented groups to access high-quality job opportunities.