The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board announced Friday that it has received a $1.5 million Health Profession Opportunity Grant to help low-income people make it into the healthcare field.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services grant is in addition to a $6 million federal Workforce Innovation Fund grant the state Department of Labor and the workforce board won earlier in the week to help boost local manufacturing job hiring.

The health profession grant will allow the workforce board, which runs job centers in the region, to partner with similar groups in New Haven and Waterbury to help keep up with the statewide demand in growing medical fields. About 150 people will be trained annually in the three regions during each of the next five years.

"Our goal is to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete," Susan Hibbard, chairwoman of the workforce group's board of directors, said in a statement. "These grants support that goal for two important industries to our region: health care and manufacturing."

Training in healthcare will be offered at community colleges and adult education programs starting next year. Job centers in New London, Norwich, Williamantic and Danielson will screen potential applicants.

According to the workforce board, demand will be particularly high in patient care, nursing, emergency medicine, community health, patient navigation and health information management. The federal grant will support training aligned with such skills. 

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow