WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a $1 million investment in Youngstown State University’s (YSU) Excellence Training Center project through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. The POWER Initiative is an inter-agency effort to strengthen communities impacted by the changing coal economy.

The investment will help YSU renovate an existing facility to create an Excellence Training Center, which will provide advanced manufacturing training and education services for workers and students. 

  • The project is expected to create or retain 199 jobs and to train 200 workers.

“As America’s energy sector changes, we need to ensure that Ohioans whose jobs rely on the power sector have the training they need to pursue new opportunities,” said Brown. “These federal investments will help support the Mahoning County organizations working to promote economic development in the region and help workers secure jobs in emerging industries.”

“Each one of these awards is a blueprint for new jobs, fresh opportunities, and a robust economic future for Ohio,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Earl F. Gohl.  “Together, these investments bring added capital into the Region, and help Appalachia prepare to globally compete in manufacturing, technology, construction, and a variety of other industry sectors.”

Brown’s office provided a letter of support for YSU’s application for funding. The Excellence Training Center project is a local partnership between YSU, Eastern Gateway Community College, Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, Youngstown Business Incubator, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and regional workforce development boards.

Yesterday, Brown urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), while President Trump’s budget proposes eliminating it entirely. For more than fifty years, ARC has provided funding and support for job-creating community projects across Ohio and 12 other Appalachian states, producing an average of $204 million in annual earnings for a region often challenged by economic underdevelopment.

Since its inception in 1965, ARC has invested in this underserved region and generated over 300,000 jobs and $10 billion for the 25 million Americans in Appalachia. Brown has spoken out against these cuts.

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