Cohen Announces $3.7 Million for H-1B Technical Jobs Skills Training Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Memphis Bioworks Foundation a federal grant worth $3,743,098 to prepare about 400 long-term unemployed, under-employed, and “discouraged” American workers for specialty occupations for which employers presently use H-1B visas to hire foreign workers.

“At a time when Americans desperately need jobs, we should not hire people from abroad to do work here at home,” Congressman Cohen said. “This grant will provide Memphians with the skills and training they need to fill positions that are available here in the Mid-South. I served in the House with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and personally thanked her for this grant and spoke to her about how we can continue to work together for additional opportunities for the 9th District.”

“We are pleased to again take a leadership role for a program in our region funded by the U.S. Department of Labor,” said Steven Bares, President and Executive Director, Memphis Bioworks Foundation. “Working to improve the skill levels of our citizens in the Mid-South is critical in expanding our competitive advantages in growing technology fields.”

The Southern Education Training Consortium, a partnership between the Memphis Bioworks Foundation and Memphis area regional community colleges, will provide classroom training in seven health care occupational fields: Assistant Animal Lab Technician, Biotechnology Technician, Health Information Technician, Implementation Support Specialist, Network & Computer System Administrator, Health Information Privacy & Security Specialist, and Computer Programmer/Software Developer. Under the proposed outcome of the grant, each participant in the program will earn two credentials upon completing training.

The H-1B Technical Skills Training Program is designed to provide education, training, and job placement assistance in the occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers. These grants are financed by a fee paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. This program was authorized under Section 414 (c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998.