Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.2 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Boost Commercial Trucking Industry Training Programs at Uintah B. College in Eastern Utah

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.2 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Uintah B. College, Roosevelt, Utah, to purchase modern training equipment to expand commercial trucking industry training programs at two regional campuses. The EDA grant, to be matched with $291,908 in local investment, is expected to create more than 700 jobs.

“President Trump is working diligently every day to support new opportunities for our nation’s economy following the impacts of COVID-19 through the CARES Act,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This investment will provide the resources that Utah needs to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and, in turn, create a stronger and more resilient state economy for the future.”

“This investment comes at an important time to help Utah and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “EDA is pleased to invest this CARES Act funding for Uintah B. College to purchase modern equipment for its Commercial Driver’s License, Auto Tech, and Diesel Tech training programs, which will result in the creation of new high-wage, high-skill jobs to aid the region’s recovery from these unprecedented challenges.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Uintah Basin Economic Development District, which EDA funds to help bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.