GLENVILLE, W.Va. – Today, Glenville State College was awarded $1.42 million by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to develop a Cybersecurity and Safety Workforce Development Initiative serving the coal-impacted communities of Barbour, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Harrison, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, and Wirt.
This award is part of a $46.4 million package supporting 57 projects across 184 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. POWER targets federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. Additional support for the initiative is provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
“The downturn of the coal industry has impacted economies across Appalachia. That’s why ARC’s POWER initiative helps to leverage regional partnerships and collaborations to support efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coal-impacted communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “Many of the projects we announced today will invest in educating and training the Appalachian workforce, nurturing entrepreneurship, and supporting infrastructure—including broadband access. These investments in our Appalachian coal-impacted communities are critical in leveling the economic playing field so our communities can thrive.”
“We are very pleased to be part of this workforce development investment that is designed to impact our local communities,” said Glenville State College President, Dr. Mark A. Manchin. “Careers in cybersecurity are growing and will only continue to grow in our ever-expanding digital world. We are grateful to the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Benedum Foundation for this support, and I look forward to seeing the successes from this initiative.”
The Cybersecurity and Safety Workforce Development Initiative is designed to cultivate economic diversity, enhance job training and reemployment opportunities, fill jobs in the high-demand field of cybersecurity, and attract new sources of investment to address safety and security in communities across the state. According to CyberSeek.org, there are over 1,000 open cybersecurity jobs in West Virginia, with a total employed cybersecurity workforce in excess of 4,000 individuals. Cybersecurity is a high pay and high demand field with multiple career pathways for advancement. It is anticipated that this initiative will train approximately 300 individuals in cybersecurity.
Since POWER launched in 2015, ARC has invested more than $287.8 million in 362 projects across 353 coal-impacted counties. The nearly $46.4 million awarded today is projected to create/retain over 9,187 jobs, attract nearly $519.5 million in leveraged private investments, and be matched by $59.2 million in additional public and private funds across the Region.
ARC is working with Chamberlin/Dunn LLC, a third-party research firm, to closely monitor, analyze, and evaluate these investments. A new report, published today in conjunction with the announcement, drew on 72 stories representing 44 unique POWER projects funded between fiscal years 2015-2020 to determine the most significant changes that occurred as a result of POWER.
The evaluation found that projects funded through POWER grants met or exceeded targets for jobs retained and/or created, businesses created, workers trained, and revenues increased. Chamberlin/Dunn is continuing to monitor POWER investments and make recommendations to ARC for ongoing programmatic efficiencies.
