Monday, Aug 20 2012 3:54PM

To further job growth in the area, a community organization in southwest Alaska received a $405,000 grant provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program.

The grant was provided through USDA's Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge program. The money is being used to train workers living in and around Bristol Bay for commercial fishing and seafood processing, two careers that support the local economy.

The Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA) and the Southwest Alaska Vocational and Education Center collaborated to develop training and continuing education for those employed by local fisheries.

"They will teach a wide range of things fishermen need - navigation, boat maintenance, engine repair and then there's things like compliance with management and US Coast Guard regulations," Patty Heyano, program development director for BBNA, told the Anchorage Daily News.

Since it is the largest industry in the area, Heyano said the decision to focus on these careers was easy, as the program can be created more easily and the industry is proven to be stable.

According to the news source, 12 other applicants will also receive the grant to create programs that will benefit those living in the region, while this is the first of this kind of grant to be awarded in Alaska.

For further information, check out this source: The Anchorage Daily News