LINCOLN — The City of Lincoln will direct $1.3 million in interest from federal pandemic funds to a workforce initiative that provides scholarships for budding electrical, auto service and HVAC techs.

Financed from interest accrued on the city’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars, the program, announced Thursday, is designed to help underemployed and unemployed Lincoln residents train for jobs in high-demand fields.

It also seeks to remove barriers by providing support such as gas money, child or elder care, uniforms and tools.

“This initiative positions Lincoln to lead the region in building a high-demand, high-wage and high-skilled ‘future-ready’ workforce,” Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in a news release.

Dylan Wren, the city’s workforce administrator, estimated that more than 300 positions are open in the city for electrical, automotive and HVAC technicians.

Roy Lamb of the Lincoln Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center said the need for electricians nationally is projected to grow 11% annually over the next decade — creating opportunity for workers in that area to command high wages and benefits.

“The need for skilled labor has never been higher,” Lamb said.

Ron Runyan, owner of Vision Mechanical, a commercial HVC, plumbing and mechanical services company,  said trade schools and apprenticeship programs are vital to developing a capable workforce.

“While technology is revolutionizing areas like diagnostics, system design and fabrication, it’s the hands-on expertise of trained professionals that ensures we continue to experience the comfort and reliability that HVA services provide,” Runyan said.

Jon Kisby of Southeast Community College, Milford Campus, said the community college was prepared to equip industries with the skilled workforce they need to build and maintain the city’s infrastructure and transportation projects.

The initiative is part of the city’s broader effort to strengthen workforce development, which has included more than $12 million in direct funding through ARPA over the past three years.

Lincoln officials named a coalition of local organizations partnering on the future-ready workforce program:

• Southeast Community College is to offer training for technicians in the electrical, automotive and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) fields.
• American Job Center is to provide case management and performance tracking for participants.
• Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development is to build connections with local businesses that can offer jobs.
• International Brotherhood Electrical Workers Local 265 is to provide electrician apprenticeship and journeyman training.
• City of Lincoln will identify gaps in the job training pipeline, funding opportunities and community resources.
• Lincoln Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center is to manage apprenticeships for program participants.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/1-3m-in-lincoln-pandemic-funding-int...