Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz will be in Washington, D.C. this week to join Vice President Kamala Harris, governors and local leaders from across the country at the White House for a Summit on the American Rescue Plan and how it is helping to strengthen our nation's workforce. The Summit will highlight model American Rescue Plan investments in workforce development across the areas of care and public health, infrastructure, and expanding the workforce. County Executive Poloncarz will be discussing Erie County’s Healthcare Careers Grant Program, which provides qualified Erie County residents with free training and support services as they move along a career path in high-demand healthcare positions.

“The Erie County Healthcare Careers Grant Program has been instrumental in both helping individuals advance in healthcare careers and also providing critically-needed staff for our healthcare facilities. As we are seeing, investments in our healthcare workforce create a more resilient, better-prepared community,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I look forward to discussing this successful program with Vice-President Harris and my colleagues from across the country as a great example of how American Rescue Plan funding helps to strengthen our workforce.”  

The Summit takes place on Wednesday, July 13 at 11:00 AM. and can be viewed via Zoom by registering here: https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_SHIcH1btSJu2GbeCIMfxJA

The Healthcare Careers Grant program, in alignment with Live Well Erie initiatives designed to promote workforce development, prepares Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (“TANF”) recipients, low-income individuals or working- or middle-class county residents with the training and supports they need to enter the field or upgrade skills and proficiencies they may already have as they move along a career path; for example, from CNA to LPN, or CNA to RN, or LPN to RN. Individuals earning $25/hr. or less or $52,000 or less annually may qualify for financial support through the ECHC program.

The program for Wednesday’s White House Workforce Summit will include (subject to change):

• 11:00 AM: Opening remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Senior Advisor to the President and White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling, and Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Rodriguez.

• 11:10AM: Perspectives from the States: featuring Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

• 11:30AM: Infrastructure Jobs, with a special focus on Pre-Apprenticeships: featuring DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer, Los Angeles County (CA) Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Franklin County (OH) Commissioner John O’Grady, and NABTU Special Assistant to the President Melissa Wells.

• 12:00PM: Care and the Public Health Workforce: featuring Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration Carole Johnson, Ramsey County (MN) Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire, Erie (NY) County Executive Mark Poloncarz, and Manchester (NH) Mayor Joyce Craig, Director of the Communities RISE Together Initiative at the Public Health Institute Dr. Somava Saha, and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer April Verrett.

• 12:40PM: Expanding Access to the Workforce for Underserved Populations: featuring Harris County (TX) Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Memphis (TN) Mayor Jim Strickland, Employ Milwaukee CEO Chytania Brown, and WRTP Big Step President Lindsay Blumer.

# # #