What's New in Workforce Investment?

The Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for the Health Care Sector and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries appears in the July 22, 2009 FEDERAL REGISTER.

Under this SGA, the Employment and Training Administration intends to award approximately $220 million in grant funds. To prioritize health care projects, ETA expects to allot approximately $125 million of the designated funds for projects in the health care sector. However, the Department of Labor reserves the right to change this amount depending on the quantity and quality of applications submitted under this SGA. The remaining balance of funds will be allotted for projects in other high growth and emerging industries. ETA intends to fund 45-65 grants ranging from approximately $2 to $5 million. ETA does not expect to fund projects for less than $2 million. However, this does not preclude funding grants at a lower amount based on the type and the number of quality submissions. ETA will not fund projects for more than $5 million, and applications requesting more than $5 million will be considered non-responsive. Within the funding ranges specified above, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for quality projects at whatever funding level is appropriate to the project.

Approximately $25 million of the total funds available through this Solicitation will be reserved for projects serving communities impacted by automotive-related restructuring, though the Department reserves the right to change this amount depending on the quantity and quality of applications submitted under this SGA. The Center for Automotive Research has identified the list of 312 U.S. counties that either have an automotive assembly plant or parts manufacturer employing regional residents. Only communities that are included on The Center for Automotive Research list will qualify for this status.

Eligible applicants are public entities or private nonprofit entities. Applicants must be legal entities and may include local Workforce Investment Boards and their One Stop Systems, Tribal organizations, education and training providers, labor organizations, health care providers, and faith-based and community organizations. The applicant must be the fiscal agent for the grant. An organization may not submit multiple applications in response to this SGA. However, an organization that submits an application for this SGA is not precluded from participating as a partner in applications submitted by other applicants in response to this SGA.

A pre-recorded Webinar will be on-line (http://www.workforce3one.org) and accessible for viewing on August 12, 2009 by 3 p.m. Eastern Time, and will be available for viewing anytime after that date. While a review of this webinar is encouraged it is not mandatory that you view this recording.

The closing date for applications is October 5, 2009.

During a visit to the Shawnee County Community Health Center as a stop on the Obama administration's Rural Tour, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a $220 million competition to fund projects that prepare workers for careers in the health care and other high growth industries.

"An important part of our nation's continued economic recovery is ensuring that workers have the necessary skills to enter high growth industries," said Secretary Solis. "Health care continues to offer workers opportunities to enter career-track jobs, earn good wages and make a positive impact on the communities in which they live and work."

The competition announced today will result in grants to fund public entities and private, nonprofit organizations to train individuals for careers in the health care fields of nursing, allied health, long-term care and health information technology. Training also will be provided for careers in other growing industries based on specific regional needs.

Approximately $25 million of total funds will be reserved for projects serving communities impacted by automotive industry restructuring.

"Today's announcement is another way that President Obama is making it a priority to get help to auto communities in an efficient and meaningful way," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers. "America's auto workers have sacrificed enormously during this economic downturn. These grants will help those auto workers who have been displaced learn valuable new skills, while giving them the support they need to find new employment in high growth and emerging industries."

Grants awarded through this competition will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, the Labor Department is encouraging prospective grantees to align their proposals with other federal agencies' Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth. Projects funded through these grants will be conducted in partnership with the public workforce system in order to prepare workers to enter careers in targeted industries.

A notice of the grant solicitation will appear in the July 22 edition of the Federal Register, and it will be available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and http://www.grants.gov. The notice may be viewed online today at http://www.federalregister.gov/inspection.aspx.