U.S. Department of Labor Commits Up to $65 Million for Workforce Innovation

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao last week announced the Department of Labor's intent to provide up to $65 million to 13 regions across the country that comprise the second generation of the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative.

"This regional economic development strategy transcends political boundaries to better leverage a region's assets to help workers succeed in the 21st century worldwide economy," said Chao. "Investing in area workforces through this collaborative approach will boost entire regions' economic vitality."

Each 2nd Generation WIRED region will receive an initial award of $500,000, with the ability to access a $4.5 million balance contingent upon completion of a regional implementation blueprint.

New Economy Strategies and its technical partner DecisionData Resources said they have supported WIRED by customizing its searchable and GIS mappable tool to bring together a bundle of federal, state, regional demographic and business data with private sector and proprietary information on federal and industry funding of research, patents, and more.

The department launched WIRED in 2005 with a competition for grants involving the nation's governors. In February 2006, 13 competitively selected regions were awarded $195 million to transform their economies. Later, an additional 13 regions, also among the best nationally, were awarded $100,000 grants to begin fostering the implementation of their talent development strategies. This latest announcement lays the groundwork for this second generation of selected regions to take the next steps in carrying out their initiatives.

The 2nd Generation WIRED regions are: Eastern & Central Puerto Rico; Southwestern Connecticut; Northern New Jersey; Delaware Valley Tri-State Area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware); Appalachian Ohio; Southeast Michigan; Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee; Southwestern Indiana; Southeast Wisconsin; Arkansas Delta; Rio Grande Valley, Texas; Wasatch Range, Utah; and Northern California.

"Strong regional economies that are built on maximizing talent and innovation will be crucial to the nation's success in the global economy," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "The strategies the 2nd Generation WIRED regions are using will help them deploy their education, workforce development, and economic development assets to build their competitive advantage."

The Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development initiative is an effort by the department's Employment and Training Administration to integrate economic and workforce development activities and demonstrate that talent development can drive economic transformation in regional economies across the United States.