Niagara County: Employment & Training ups tuition assistance grant availability to $5,000

Submitted by the Niagara County Public Information Office

Niagara County Employment & Training Director Donald J. Jablonski announced the amount of money available through the department’s tuition assistance grant has increased from $4,000 to $5,000.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals who would like to pursue or are pursuing training, licensure, or a degree in a field that will lead to employment in what is considered a ‘demand occupation’ to get a significant portion of their costs covered,” Jablonski said. “Through this grant, we are able to provide tuition assistance for dozens of programs at schools across Western New York.”

The department’s tuition assistance program is made available through a federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity (WIOA) grant, which is designed to strengthen and improve the nation's public workforce system, help get Americans into high-quality jobs and careers, and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.

“One of the best things about this grant is that there is literally something for everyone,” Jablonski said. “We are able to fund anything from accounting to CDL-A training to skilled trades to nursing, and many, many more training programs. And we cut the check directly to the training provider, so the student doesn’t have to pay out-of-pocket, and then worry about getting reimbursed.”

Jablonski noted that, while preference is given to Niagara County residents for funding, anyone interested in learning more about the tuition assistance grant may call 716-278-8243. A full list of programs that are funded through the grant and other information about the program can be found at www.worksource1.com/training, under the “Approved Training Providers & Courses” hyperlink.