The Missouri Department of Higher Education is working on decreasing the unemployment rate in the state. The United States Department of Labor granted the Missouri Department of Higher Education $1.3 million for local response to COVID-19.
Gov. Mike Parson says this money will come on June 1 and be available within 45 days after that. The money will allow openings of temporary jobs in COVID-19 humanitarian support. Parson says those jobs will be helpful for those who will receive quote “skill up” training that will be offered through the department of higher education.
Rob Dixon is the director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. He says the money and training are more important now than ever.
"Obviously getting Missourians trained and retrained was important before COVID-19, it’s going to be even more critical after the period that we’re in right now, because fundamentally the way of doing business is going to change."
Dixon says colleges and universities, in collaboration with the department of workforce development, will decide how the funds will be allocated.