Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.6 Million to Establish a Manufacturing Workforce Training Center in Cleveland, Ohio

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.6 million grant to the Workroom Program Alliance and the Cleveland Municipal School District., Cleveland, Ohio, to renovate a 33,000-square-foot space within Cleveland’s Collinwood High School for use as an adult technical training and workforce development facility. This EDA project, to be matched with $901,928 in local funds, is expected to create 218 jobs, retain 819 jobs, and generate $15 million in private investment.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo visited Cleveland today to learn more about and support Cleveland’s vital manufacturing sector and workforce training programs.

“President Biden is committed to building a skilled workforce that supports our nation’s manufacturing sector,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This exciting EDA investment provides job opportunities for residents in several distressed Cleveland neighborhoods while meeting the demand of local manufacturers for high-skilled workers.”

“We are pleased to support this important partnership between Workroom Program Alliance and the Cleveland Municipal School District,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “This EDA investment will establish a manufacturing workforce training center that will play a critical role in creating job opportunities and boosting the regional economy.”

“I am thrilled to be in Cleveland today with Deputy Secretary Don Graves to tour this facility and support the Workroom Program Alliance as it establishes a workforce training center,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This new facility will have key resources – including a machine shop, mechatronics labs, and leasable workspace and classrooms for community partners – this project will expand opportunity for the community and provide the trained workforce that is needed to strengthen Cleveland’s vital manufacturing sector.”

“Ohio has a proud history of leading the country in manufacturing innovation. We’re building on that legacy by making new investments in Cleveland, which will create and retain jobs, and generate a return on investment for American taxpayers,” said Senator Sherrod Brown. “Ohio workers can compete with anyone in the world, and I’m glad to see their strength is being recognized.”

“This grant is good for the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Municipal School District and Collinwood High School,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “We appreciate Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, a Cleveland native, for being here today with Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandro Castillo to make this announcement. This investment is one tool to help us eliminate inequities, disparities and racism.”

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.