The Missouri Department of Social Services will use a new grant to provide low-income Missourians new job opportunities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is funding a $15 million dollar, five-year federal grant that will offer job training for health care careers in St. Louis, Kansas City, and 19 counties throughout central Missouri.
Counties include Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Howard, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington.
Governor Jay Nixon announced the plan to increase access to job training for low-income families on Wednesday. However, spokesman for the governor Scott Holste said there are requirements for eligibility.
“They must have an income under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which works out to be around $48,500 a year for a family of four,” Holste said.
This grant will provide training for approximately 1,800 Missourians in the positions of certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and other entry level positions.
Holste hopes a variety of training will cause lasting effects for these families.
“The Work Force Investment Boards are going to offer a combination of classroom learning on the job training as well as some distant learning to help these people to acquire job skills that they can translate into steady jobs that can help them go a long way in supporting their families,” Holste said.
The choice to train in health-related fields is due to a recent spike in demand for these positions.