YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown State University is getting nearly half-a-million dollars in state funding for education and skill training for students and incumbent workers.

State Rep. Lauren McNally announced that $460,569 from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) will go to YSU.

The funding is part of ODE's Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) program and will help meet the needs of emerging and high-demand industries in the future.

The goals of the RAPIDS program are to retain and expand existing businesses, attract new ones and further entrepreneurship.

"People need jobs. They also need jobs that can become careers and ways to take care of their families," said Rep. McNally. "This investment, and these efforts, by YSU are how we create access and bring tools to people, allowing them to provide for those that matter most in their lives."

The Ohio Controlling Board says YSU has an innovative strategy for manufacturing education that maximizes impacts while minimizing costs.