February 28, 2024

Manchin Announces $500k For Wheeling Ironworkers Local 549

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) for Wheeling Ironworkers Local 549. The funding will support their certified apprenticeship program and the purchase of essential equipment. This federal award is one of the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests Senator Manchin secured on behalf of West Virginia through the Fiscal Year 2023 funding bill.

“West Virginians are some of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet, and I’m pleased that DOL is investing $500,000 in the Wheeling Ironworkers Local 549,” said Senator Manchin. “The funding will be used to purchase essential equipment and support their certified apprenticeship program, which will further enable skilled craftsmen to safely and efficiently complete vital projects. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources that create economic opportunity and support West Virginia’s ironworkers.”

Wheeling Ironworkers Local 549's Apprenticeship Program partners with contractors in the tri-state area to allow trained apprentices to work hands-on while being paid for their work as they are entering the industry. The program’s expansion will include more than one hundred additional apprenticeships.

The Senate Appropriations Committee allows members of Congress to submit CDS requests, which provides an opportunity for state and local governments, non-profits, and other public entities to receive targeted funding for projects that bolster their communities and directly support West Virginians. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Manchin works to ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated to priorities that benefit all West Virginians, boost economic growth and support the needs of communities across the Mountain State while remaining fiscally responsible.