The Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments (UCPCOG) received a $400,000 grant from the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to assist regional local governments in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  The UCPCOG is a regional council of governments that includes Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, and Wilson Counties, and 41 municipal governments located within the five-county area.

The UCPCOG will utilize the $400,000 funding by carrying out the following activities:

• Develop a regional disaster recovery and resiliency plan
• Provide funding to coordinate regional pandemic-related economic impacts
• Enhance local government capacity building programs
• Expand the UCPCOG’s technological capabilities to improve service to member governments

The funding supports the workforce development activities of the Turning Point Workforce Development Board and increase direct support to the region’s workforce and business community.  Upper Coastal Plain staff will foster cross-sector partnership opportunities, explore options to coordinate virtual career fairs, and implement other pandemic-response activities that support increased access to job training. 

Read the full press release here.