COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — More than $6 million in Appalachian Regional Commission funding will support five projects aimed at workforce and economic development in Ohio’s Appalachian region, Gov. Mike DeWine announced.
The funding comes through the federal Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, or POWER, Initiative, which supports communities affected by the decline of the coal industry.
The projects will support workforce training, student-to-career pipelines and infrastructure improvements designed to help expand local industry.
Two of the projects will directly serve communities in Southeast Ohio.
Access Tusc in Tuscarawas County will receive $2 million for its REACH — The Aging Workforce project. The three-year project will develop training focused on aging and chronic diseases and create job opportunities for the emerging community health worker workforce.
The project also will work with commercial and Medicare Advantage payers to explore funding mechanisms for community health workers, develop partnerships and support technology innovation for small nonprofits. That technology component will help participating organizations access Health Information Exchange data related to real-time medical visits and hospitalizations.
The project is expected to serve 15 health care businesses, 20 workers and trainees, 800 participants and 10 communities, while creating 22 jobs during the three-year performance period.
Washington State College of Ohio in Washington County will receive $100,000 to develop a regional K-12-to-career pathways strategy for Southeast Ohio.
The one-year project will bring together school districts, career centers, community partners and industry leaders to assess existing programs, identify best practices and develop a more consistent regional framework for career pathways.
The plan will focus on aligning student readiness with long-term workforce needs while taking into account student interests and employer demand. The project will produce a regional plan outlining goals, recommendations and next steps across the college’s six-county service area.
The Governor’s Office of Appalachia, part of the Ohio Department of Development, worked with local development districts to identify projects eligible for the funding and assist with the federal application process.
The latest funding round represents the largest POWER investment by the Appalachian Regional Commission since the initiative began in 2015, according to the state. The projects announced in the round will impact 365 counties across Appalachia.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership covering 13 states. The POWER Initiative was established to help communities address economic impacts associated with the decline of the coal industry.
Last Updated on September 30, 2026 by AVC News
