Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.1 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Enhance Healthcare Workforce Training in Sellersburg, Indiana

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.1 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, Indiana, to support renovations needed to enhance its healthcare workforce training programs. This EDA grant, to be matched with $771,130 in local funds, is expected to create 55 jobs and generate $3.5 million in private investment.

“President Biden is committed to ensuring that America has a thriving healthcare workforce that keeps citizens healthy during and after the pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment at Ivy Tech Community College will support the training of American workers for in-demand healthcare jobs by providing additional equipment and upgraded facilities.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting community-led economic development strategies designed to boost coronavirus recovery and response efforts,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This investment will support the renovation of Pfau Hall on the Sellersburg, Indiana, campus to accommodate the expansion of healthcare training programs and increase the resiliency of the regional economy in response to the pandemic.”

“Now more than ever, we must bolster our healthcare workforce and invest in quality training programs,” said Congressman Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09). “I was proud to support emergency funding in the CARES Act and am excited to see a portion of it go to a local institution.”

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. 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.

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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.