DENVER - Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today participated with Mayor John W. Hickenlooper in Metro Denver's kickoff of the WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) initiative.

"Metro Denver will use WIRED to 'grow its own' regional talent and prepare Colorado's future workforce for careers in the region's growing industries," said DeRocco. "WIRED is an expression of President Bush's belief that developing and applying the American people's skills in productive and innovative ways are critical to keeping our nation competitive in the global economy."

Metro Denver's economy supports a wide array of growing industries including software development, aerospace, life sciences and finance but has increasingly depended on skills of people brought into the area from elsewhere. Through this project the Metro Denver region will partner with local school districts, businesses and associations to prepare workers for careers in these growth sectors, providing opportunities for higher paying jobs that demand greater skills.

Major partners in the project include: Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation; the Office of Economic Development of the City and County of Denver; Metro Denver school districts; the Small Business Development Center of Metro Denver; the Workforce Board of Metropolitan Denver; the University of Colorado at Denver; the Colorado Children's Campaign; the Colorado Bioscience Association; the Colorado Space Coalition; and the Colorado Software and Internet Association.

On Feb. 1, the U.S. Department of Labor selected Metro Denver as one of 13 regions to take part in the $195 million WIRED initiative as a complement to the President's American Competitiveness Initiative. Participating regions will each be awarded $15 million over three years.

WIRED aims to expand employment and advancement opportunities for American workers and spur the creation of high skill and high wage opportunities throughout the country. Regions selected for WIRED seek to improve their competitiveness through the transformation of their economies and the systems and structures that support them. Regional economies in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Alabama/Mississippi, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Montana and California are participating in WIRED.