The city of Springfield, Massachusetts is soliciting bids from organizations to do workforce training in poor neighborhoods hit by the tornado three years ago.
The jobs skills training will be paid for out of a $21 million federal disaster recovery grant the city was awarded last year. While most of the money is being spent to rebuild houses, streets, sidewalks ,and a school, $250,000 will be used for workforce development. Mayor Domenic Sarno said spending of the funds is guided by a tornado recovery master plan that was developed with considerable public input.
" Many times plans get shelved. This did not. More than 3,000 people were involved in the rebuild Springfield plan."
The South End and Six Corners neighborhoods had high unemployment rates before the tornado hit..
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