COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The City of Columbus has approved $2 million to go toward training hundreds of skilled workers who will strengthen the city's workforce over the next two years. CAREER 500 is the city's plan, in collaboration with Ohio State University and Aspyr, to recruit, serve and graduate a total of 500 or more residents from workforce development programs in a variety of fields. The funds recently approved by City Council are for grants backing these programs, which provide training, wraparound support and job placement services to unemployed or underemployed members of the community. Whitehall buys $49,000 police drone as privacy questions linger Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans said these grants will help residents who can't access training that would otherwise allow them to take the next step in their careers. He said it's a big point of frustration that these types of programs are often income-restricted. "So many folks that really need the ability to upskill, the ability to get a short-term credential that could really give them a lot more economic stability, is not something they can do given their funding model," Dorans said. Aspyr, formerly the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, will oversee the grants. It will figure out what programs to give funding to, also offering its expertise, technical assistance and knowledge of best practices to work with the organizations that are awarded grants. What the grants pay for will depend on which programs apply for them. However, Lisa Patt-McDaniel, CEO of Aspyr, gave a few examples of the job fields that could be targeted. A camera caught her cat's disappearance in a plastic bag. No charges have been filed "We very much concentrate our investments in our high demands industries, key sectors here in Franklin County," Patt-McDaniel said. "So, that's going to be advanced manufacturing, healthcare technology roles, and also, you know, those jobs that are in administration. ... Project management is really the number one." Because the city's job growth is expected to be twice that of other Midwest cities, the grant program is all about supporting residents as they launch careers that will build wealth and make generational change in the economic stability of Columbus families, according to the council. This is also expected to help businesses experiencing a shortage of skilled labor. "I think it's incredibly critical because when you hear from businesses that are here right now, they say one of their biggest challenges is attracting and retaining skilled workers," Dorans said. "That's without even more of the growth that's coming, you know, here and in central Ohio. One of the reasons that Columbus has attracted employers has been in availability of skilled labor, and we're sort of getting to the furthest reaches of that." Patt-McDaniel explained how the introduction of 500 skilled workers into the city's workforce will have a domino effect on Columbus' economy. Small businesses in Lancaster see boost after LGBTQ+ controversy "Having skilled workers also attracts more investment into the region," Patt-McDaniel said. "And the Midwest is already, and Ohio, is already known to be an area that's attractive in a lot of ways, but also in the Midwest we're known for our work ethic. So, the more we can help people get skills that will attract more investment and more jobs, it's kind of a circle, right?" Applications for the grant program will go live in the next month, Dorans said.