Gov. Steve Bullock – Jobs in Eastern Montana

The State of Montana has awarded $1 million dollars in federal POWER grant money to assist the community of Colstrip and Eastern Montana with workforce planning and worker training, that will help ensure the region grows an increasingly diversified economy.

Recipients of the first round of POWER grant awards include:

Dawson Community College – $200,000

MT AFL-CIO – $292,746

Miles Community College/Chief Dull Knife College – $494,562

The funding covers workforce training for Colstrip and other communities in Eastern Montana affected by coal-related impacts, including the Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux reservations. The grant money will train over 1,100 workers in 23 eastern and southcentral Montana counties for new jobs in a diversified economy.

While market forces and customer demands continue to create uncertainty in the coal markets, my administration is working hard to address the current and potential long-term impacts the markets are creating for Montanans.

That is why I directed the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (MTDLI) to apply for a POWER grant through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Dislocated Worker program. This $1 million federal grant will help Colstrip and communities across Eastern Montana prepare for their future by helping Montanans enhance their skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

Colstrip and other coal-impacted communities must remain vibrant and viable areas of our state. This opportunity to help Montanans be successful in a diversified economy will further stabilize and continue to strengthen the region’s economy now and into the future.

Another $1 million in funding will also be made available in the future. If you or anyone you know would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please find out more online HERE http://cciag.mt.gov/Portals/190/Documents/POWER-MT/POWER%20Grant%20One-Pager.pdf

I am committed to the workers and community of Colstrip, and continuing the record job creation within Montana’s strong economy. Done right, we can continue to drive economic growth in our communities while creating and maintaining good-paying jobs.

Together, we will pass along a Montana to our children that is still the envy of the nation for quality of life and economic stability.

Sincerely,

STEVE BULLOCK

Governor