Cape Girardeau's Codefi among 19 state awardees of workforce training grants

Cape Girardeau's Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation is among 19 organizations receiving a total of $30 million from American Rescue Plan Act monies in the form of workforce training grants.

Administered by the state Department of Economic Development (DED), the initiative by Codefi and efactory, for Innovate SOMO at Missouri State University in Springfield, will receive $1,457,178.

The grant will be funded over a three-year period focused, according to a Codefi news release, on two primary objectives:

• Codefi's Code Labs, an adult computer programming training program that gives entry level skills for software development in less than a year at no cost to participants.
• Cybersecurity training in partnership with Missouri Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.

Missouri Economic and Research Information Center reports the fastest-growing high-wage jobs in Missouri are in software development and cybersecurity, yet employers report these jobs "are the most difficult" to fill.

U.S. News and World Report recently ranked software development as the "best job" in America.

"It's such an honor to have been selected," said Chris Carnell, co-founder of Codefi. "Since inception, Code Labs graduates with new employment have doubled their average annual income. The program has a proven track record that just continues to get better, and we're confident we will be the best stewards of these public funds entrusted to us."

More grants

Other awards with regional impact announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, by Gov. Mike Parson include:

• $3 million to Sikeston Schools for welding instruction through Sikeston Future Workforce Expansion.
• $2,110,040 to Junior College District of St. Louis for workforce expansion for trucking in an 11-county region, including the counties of Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott.
• $1,575,021 to Missouri Incutech Foundation for a warehouse, manufacturing and supply chain training program for incarcerated women. The initiative is focused on 18 Missouri counties, including Scott.
• $966,740 to Sellenviek Construction of Jonesburg, Missouri, for construction and utilities with expenditures anticipated in Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid and Stoddard counties.