Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of July 30, 2018

The following is a selection of recent announcements gleaned from various federal sources and colleagues, and is provided to EDA’s Economic Development Integrators to increase our awareness of complementary resources for economic development. Special thanks to ETA and other federal partners for sharing content included below.

Also visit the following links on our updated EDI webpages at www.eda.gov/edi for additional information about federal resources that are available to support comprehensive regional economic development strategies, including:

Click here to view all weekly federal announcement posts.

Contents

 

Funding & Resource Announcements

Announcements of Federal Funding & Assistance Available:

 

Economic – Access to Capital

CDFI Fund Opens 2018 Funding Round for Capital Magnet Fund

Objective to Finance Economic Development, Affordable Housing and Community Service Facilities in Economically Distressed Communities

The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund this week opened fiscal year 2018 funding round for the Capital Magnet Fund. The CDFI Fund will award approximately $142.9 million to CDFIs and qualified nonprofit housing organizations this year to finance affordable housing activities, related economic development activities and community service facilities, with the goal of attracting private capital to economically distressed communities. The two-part application and guidelines can be found on the CDFI Fund website. The deadline to file the SF-424 form is Aug. 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET and the Capital Magnet Fund application is due by Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. ET. The CDFI Fund expects awards will be announced winter 2019.

 

Economic – Workforce Development:

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Grant to Help Women Enter Apprenticeships, Expand Job Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Labor this week announced the availability of funding to help recruit, train, and retain more women in quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and pursue careers in manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and healthcare, among other industries. The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant helps to expand pathways for women to enter in, and lead in, all industries.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we have seen a record number of job openings in the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “We must continue our efforts to maximize opportunities for women to enter apprenticeship programs and secure good, family-sustaining jobs.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2016, the year for the most recent data available, women accounted for more than half of all workers within several industry sectors, including education and health services (75 percent), financial activities (52 percent), and leisure and hospitality (51 percent). Women accounted for less than half in several industry sectors, including manufacturing (29 percent), agriculture (25 percent), transportation and utilities (24 percent), mining (13 percent), and construction (9 percent).

Women account for less than 10 percent of individuals enrolled in apprenticeship programs.

The WANTO grant program will award at least $994,000 to community-based organizations to encourage women’s employment in underrepresented occupations and pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. Grants will be awarded to up to six recipients. Organizations applying must provide one or more of the following types of technical assistance:

  • Developing pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or nontraditional skills training programs to prepare women for those careers;
  • Providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women to succeed in those careers; and
  • Setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women to improve their retention.

The 2018 grants are administered by the Department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration. Visit the Women’s Bureau for more information.

Other salient information from the solicitation document:

In awarding grants, the Department will give priority to applications that

 

  • Demonstrate experience preparing women to gain employment in A/NTO;
  • Demonstrate experience working with the business community to prepare them to place women in A/NTO;
  • Have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as active members of the organization, as either employed staff or board members; and
  • Have experience delivering TA specifically as defined above, including developing (establishing, expanding and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship or nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO; providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women in A/NTO to improve retention.

 

Between two (2) and six (6) grants of $250,000 to $500,000 each will be awarded.

Applications are due August 16.

 

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Funding Opportunity for Apprenticeship Expansion in Key Industry Sectors

The solicitation can be directly accessed at
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=307212

The U.S. Department of Labor today (July 18) announced $150 million in grants to support sector-based approaches to expand apprenticeships on a national scale in key industry sectors. When awarded, the grants will move a step closer to President Trump’s vision set forth in Executive Order on Expanding Apprenticeship in America, which calls for increasing the number of apprentices in the U.S. across all industries.

This grant program aims to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to new industry sectors, and to increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans. Veterans, military spouses, service members re-entering the civilian workforce, and underrepresented groups in apprenticeship, including women, people of color, and ex-offenders will benefit from their investments. As directed by the 2017 Executive Order, the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion released on May 10, 2018, its final report to the President, which provides detailed recommendations for meeting these goals.

“The expansion of apprenticeships makes the greatest workforce in the world – the American workforce – even stronger,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “This funding is an investment in America’s workforce, will contribute to competitiveness by helping job creators meet increasing demands for skilled workers, and meets the nation’s need for family-sustaining careers.”

There are more than 6.6 million job openings in the U.S., many of which require advanced skills.

The Department will award up to $150 million in H-1B funds to approximately 15 to 30 apprenticeship programs, with awards ranging from $1 million to $12 million. The grant size will depend on the size of the targeted industry sector and the proposed scale of the apprenticeship projects. Funding will be awarded to projects designed to:

  • Expand apprenticeships to occupations that have not typically used apprenticeships to bring new entrants into the workforce. By focusing on information technology, advanced manufacturing, banking and finance, and healthcare, we can offer new job seekers opportunities and upskill those already employed in these industries to bolster the sector’s competiveness;
  • Increase the level of apprenticeship activity among a range of new employers within these industry sectors, particularly small and medium-sized businesses; and
  • Promote a sector-based approach to large-scale expansion of apprenticeships that include a paid, work-based learning component and a required educational or instructional component that results in the issuance of an industry-recognized credential and meet appropriate quality assurance standards.

Applications are due October 16.

 

Education

 

NEW! School Climate Transformation: Department of Education Announces Funding Opportunity

The Department of Education has announced the availability of $8,000,000 for investment in “School Climate Transformation:”

School Climate Transformation Grant Program–State Educational Agency Grants provides competitive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to develop, enhance, or expand statewide systems of support for, and technicalassistance to, local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools implementing an evidence-based, multitiered behavioral framework for improving behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students.

The Department expects to make 16 awards.  Applications are due by August 27.

Full background / application requirements / evaluation criterial:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-07-26/pdf/2018-16005.pdf

 

NEW! Department of Education Invites Applications under the “Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges”

 The Department of Education has announced it is inviting applications for new awards for Fiscal Year 2018 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)–Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges. The Department has identified $990,000 for investment with a projected ten awards.

Applications are due by August 30.

The NOFA will appear in the July 30 FEDERAL REGISTER.  The pre-publication version can be found at

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-16259.pdf

The Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges is designed to support projects at institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity education programs at community colleges.

The solicitation includes one absolute priority. The Department is establishing this priority for the FY 2018 grant competition, and any subsequent year in which it makes awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.  This priority is: Collaboration.

The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program has awarded large grants to three community colleges to operate centers that support the improvement of cybersecurity education at community colleges around the Nation. Those centers are the National CyberWatch Center, based at Prince George’s Community College (Largo, MD); the CyberWatch West Center, based at Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, WA); and the Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), based at Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, IL). Those centers coordinate a large network of affiliated institutions, including more than 100 community colleges.

To build on the experience and ongoinginitiatives of the ATE Program, this priority requires applicants to collaborate with an ATE Program center. An eligible applicant must propose to lead a project to provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity education programs at community colleges that leverages the expertise of the National Science Foundation’s ATE Program.

Each eligible applicant must include a signed statement by an authorized official from at least one of the three ATE Program centers: the National CyberWatch Center, the CyberWatch West Center, or CSSIA. The signed statement must certify that the center or centers will provide technical assistance or other aid to the Note: It is not required for a community college to have an existing relationship with an ATE Program center to meet this absolute priority.

 

Infrastructure

 

Economic Development Administration Publishes Guidance for the FY 2018 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program

EDA designates Resources to Support Communities and Regions Negatively Impacted by Changes in the Coal Economy

The Economic Development Administration’s (EDA’s) mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for economic growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA fulfills this mission through strategic investments and partnerships that create the regional economic ecosystems required to foster globally competitive regions throughout the United States. EDA supports development in economically distressed areas of the United States by fostering job creation and attracting private investment.

EDA has published a July 2 notification on www.grants.gov that it will make construction, non-construction, and revolving loan fund investments under the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Programs.

Through the Economic Development Assistance Program (EDAP) NOFO, EDA solicits applications from rural and urban communities to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic conditions.

Through this FY 2018 NOFO, EDA will also designate a portion of its EAA funding to support communities and regions that have been negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy (Assistance to Coal Communities, or ACC 2018).  For 2018 funding, projects must be located within and targeted to communities or regions that have been impacted, or can reasonably demonstrate that they will be impacted, by coal mining or coal power plant employment loss, or employment loss in the supply chain industries of either.

Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.

There are no submission deadlines under this opportunity.  . Proposals and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the publication of a new EDAP NOFO.

 

Eligible Applicants:                                     

City or township governments
State governments
Special district governments
County governments
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

See:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=306735

 

Previously Announced Federal Funding Opportunities Closing Soon:  

Below is a list of previously highlighted funding opportunities that are still open. Enter the Opportunity Number in Grants.gov to see announcement details. You can also search Grants.gov for a full list of current federal opportunities, including programs not listed below.

 

Opportunity Number Opportunity Title Agency Posted Date Close Date
NSF 17-590 Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources NSF 08/22/2017 10/01/2018
EPA-GM-COOPERATIVE-AGREEMENTS-2018-1 Gulf of Mexico Program Cooperative Agreements 2018 EPA 05/31/2018 07/31/2018
HRSA-18-124 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Technical Assistance HHS 06/29/2018 08/10/2018
2018-NIST-DR Disaster Resilience (DR) Research Grants Program DOC/NIST 06/28/2018 08/27/2018
CDFI-2018-BEA Bank Enterprise Award Program Application

 Treasury/CDFI 07/19/2018 08/23/2018

 

Other Funding of Interest

 

NEW! U.S. Department of Labor Announces Availability of $250,000 In Brookwood-Sago Grants for Mine Safety Education and Training

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced today the availability of up to $250,000 in funding through its Brookwood-Sago grant program to support education and training to help identify, avoid, and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines. Brookwood-Sago grants focus on powered haulage safety, examinations of working places at metal and nonmetal mines, or emergency prevention and preparedness.

Established by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006, the program promotes mine safety while honoring 25 miners who died in 2001 in Brookwood, Alabama, at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine, and in 2006 in Buckhannon, West Virginia, at the Sago Mine.

Funding will enable grant recipients to develop training materials, provide mine safety training or educational programs, recruit mine operators and miners for the training, and conduct and evaluate the training. MSHA will give special emphasis to programs and materials that target workers at smaller mines, including training miners and employers about new MSHA standards, high-risk activities, or hazards identified by MSHA.

The minimum and maximum amounts of each individual grant are $50,000 and $250,000, respectively.

To submit a grant application, go to www.grants.gov.

The closing date for applications is Aug. 23, 2018. MSHA will award grants on or before Sept. 28, 2018.  Additional information is available in the Federal Register here.

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

NEW! CDFA Announces Opportunity Zones Conference (September 5 – 6)

The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) today forwarded an advisory today about the opening of registration for a  September 5-6, 2018 conference in Washington, D.C.

With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones have emerged as a transformative federal economic development tool that could improve the outcomes of distressed communities around the country. Now that all Opportunity Zones have been designated and Opportunity Funds are beginning to form, CDFA and the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation have partnered together to educate both states and local agencies on how to effectively navigate Opportunity Zones and use this tax incentive to spur investment in low-income areas. CDFA is leading the industry with resources and information on Opportunity Zones, and we encourage you to visit our Opportunity Zones Resource Center to learn more.

Join us in Washington, DC on September 5-6 for a timely event on Opportunity Zones. CDFA and the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation are bringing together local communities, policy makers, and investors to discuss how to maximize the Opportunity Zones designations in low-income communities. National experts will be on hand for panel discussions, presentations, and workshops focused on how your community can take advantage of its Opportunity Zone designations, and how it can build strategies for identifying and working with Opportunity Fund investors.

Opportunity Zones: Maximizing Impact in Your Community will take place at Georgetown University at the Fisher Colloquium. Space is limited, and we encourage you to register today to secure your seat!

Registration and agenda: https://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/0/4502DADB58AC20DA882582CD005DC9E3

Opportunity Zones Frequently Asked Questions

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently-asked-questions

The national map of Opportunity Zones is now in place. On June 14, 2018, the Department of the Treasury certified the final round of states’ nominations, bringing the total number of qualified census tracts to more than 8,700 across all states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

NEW! NTIA to Host Virginia Broadband Summit on October 30

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) BroadbandUSA Program, in partnership with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), has announced it will host the Virginia Broadband Summit in Roanoke, Virginia on October 30, 2018. The purpose of the Summit is to engage the public and stakeholders with information to accelerate broadband connectivity, improve digital inclusion, and support local priorities. The Summit will provide information on topics including local broadband planning, funding and engagement with service providers. Speakers and attendees from Virginia, federal agencies and across the country will come together to explore ways to facilitate the expansion of broadband capacity, access, and utilization.

 

BroadbandUSA Announces Upcoming Webinar Series with Focus on Deployment, Digital Inclusion, Workforce Skills, and E-Government

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration  (NTIA), as part of its BroadbandUSA program, will host a series of webinars on a monthly basis to engage the public and stakeholders with

information to accelerate broadband connectivity, improve digital  inclusion, strengthen policies and support local priorities. The Practical Broadband Conversations webinar series will provide an  ongoing source of information on a range of topics and issues being addressed by BroadbandUSA, including but not limited to best practices for improving broadband deployment, digital inclusion, workforce skills, and e-government.

 BroadbandUSA will hold the webinars from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the third Wednesday of every month, beginning October 17, 2018 and continuing through September 18, 2019.

This is a virtual meeting. NTIA will post the registration information on its BroadbandUSA website https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov under Events.

NTIA’s BroadbandUSA program serves as a trusted and neutral strategic advisor, collaborating with federal, state and local government, and industry leaders working to advance smart city and broadband initiatives designed to attract new employers, create quality jobs, improve educational opportunities, increase health outcomes and advance public safety.

BroadbandUSA convenes workshops on a regular basis to bring stakeholders together to discuss ways to improve broadband policies, share best practices, and connect state and local stakeholders to other federal agencies and funding sources for the purpose of expanding broadband infrastructure and adoption throughout America. Experts from NTIA’s BroadbandUSA program are available to provide technical assistance and to connect stakeholders with additional resources, such as best practices, guides and program models.

NTIA’s BroadbandUSA team convenes events around the country to bring together government, industry and non-profit personnel working to expand broadband connectivity and improve digital inclusion and workforce skills. These webinars are among the events BroadbandUSA uses to share broadband information with the public, broadband stakeholders, tribal, local and state governments and federal programs.

Details on specific webinar topics and webinar registration information will be posted on the BroadbandUSA website https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov under Events. The presentation, transcript, and recording of the webinars will be posted on the BroadbandUSA website within 7 days following the live webinar.

The public is invited to participate in these webinars. General questions and comments are welcome at any time during webinars via email to [email protected]. The webinars are open to the public and press. Pre-registration is recommended. NTIA asks each registrant to provide their first and last name, city, state, zip code, job title, organization and email address for both registration purposes and to receive any updates on BroadbandUSA or via email at [email protected]. Information on webinar content and how to register for one or more webinars will available on NTIA’s website at https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov under Events. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as language interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify the NTIA contact listed above at least seven (7) business days before the meeting.

 

SOAR Summit to Discuss Plan for Appalchia Kentucky on August 30 – 31

 NADO provides this advisory on an upcoming conference

SOAR Summit 18 is scheduled for August 30-31 at the East Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville.  This year’s summit is a convening of organizations, businesses, and individuals who represent the best of Appalachia Kentucky.  This year’s Summit will feature inspiring keynote speakers who promote innovation and collaboration, economic and community development, and the alignment of the region’s work with the Blueprint for a 21st Century Appalachia, a visionary plan for Appalachia Kentucky that was created through the input of thousands of people from across the region.  Click here to learn more and to register.

 

Commitment to Building Evidence: MDRC and STRIVE Summarize Strategic Effort to Continuously Improve New Program Model Targeting Young Adults Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

(July 18 advisory from MDRC) As interest by policymakers in evidence-based programs has grown in recent years, so too has the interest of nonprofit leaders in learning how best to build evidence of their models’ effectiveness. STRIVE International (STRIVE) engaged MDRC to help the organization think strategically about how to continuously improve a new program model targeting young adults who are involved in the juvenile justice system. This Issue Focus describes the partnership and discusses some of the lessons learned that can be applied to any organization with a newly developed program.

The STRIVE Future Leaders Program

STRIVE is a nonprofit job training and career development services agency, based in New York City, which works in more than 20 cities across the country. Widely known for its adult workforce development programming, it began offering services in 2012 to young adults ages 14 to 24 who are involved in the juvenile justice system and live in high-poverty, high-crime neighborhoods. To serve young people, STRIVE loosely adapted the adult workforce model it has implemented for more than 30 years. Seven STRIVE affiliates implemented that first-generation model; from this experience STRIVE learned that the underlying premise of its adult programming did not fully translate to the youth population. STRIVE engaged the Youth Development Institute to support the development of a new program model called STRIVE Future Leaders (SFL), designed to better suit the needs of young people. The Institute prepared a manual documenting the curriculum for use beginning in 2016 by six STRIVE affiliates, each expected to serve an average of 122 young people over the entire program period, ending in April 2019.[1]

The SFL program model combines work readiness and work experience, educational enrichment, case management, mentoring, a financial incentive, and community involvement—all within the context of a positive youth development[2] environment. The goal of SFL is to increase the educational attainment and employment of its participants. Moreover, it seeks to increase self-efficacy and civic engagement as well as reduce criminal involvement. SFL has four phases, intended to be implemented in succession: (1) engaged enrollment, during which participants and staff get to know one another, (2) work-readiness training workshops, (3) opportunities for work experience and occupational skills training, and (4) follow-up supports. The first three phases take up to six months and the last phase lasts another six months. Within this framework, affiliates were able to exercise discretion about how to implement each component.

 

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council to Meet on August 14 – 16

References:DOL/ETA Environmental Justice plan and annual reports, Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants, water sector competency model, environmental technology curricula on SkillsCommons …  The Charter of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council states that the body “will provide independent advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator about broad, crosscutting issues related to environmental justice. The NEJAC’s efforts will include evaluation of a broad range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory, community engagement and economic issues related to environmental justice.” The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council will convene a public face-to-face meeting beginning on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, starting at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The NEJAC meeting will continue August 15-16, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. NEJAC meeting will be held at the Boston Park Plaza, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116-3912. The meeting discussion will focus on several topics including, but not limited to, environmental justice concerns of communities in Boston, MA and surrounding areas; discussion and deliberation of the final report from the NEJAC Environmental Justice and Water Infrastructure Finance and Capacity Work Group; and the proactive efforts of EPA Region 1 to advance environmental justice. Full background /pre-registration and registration / opportunity for public comment / contacts: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-07-20/pdf/2018-15621.pdf

 

Reports, Tools and Data

NEW! NDAA Conference Report Analysis:  Apprenticeship/ Growth Accelerators Challenge /Regional Innovation Clusters / Advanced Manufacturing / Cybersecurity / Small Business Policies / SBDCs / SBIR / STTR

SSTI published its analysis on July 26 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 with “six innovation highlights” accompanied by its observation that the NDAA is expected to “pass both chambers soon.”

The analysis notes: “Also significant is at least one section not in the bill. The House’s version included language that may have prevented the SBA from operating the Growth Accelerators Challenge and Regional Innovation Clusters.  That language is not in the agreed final draft of the bill.”

The House and Senate have agreed to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2019. As anticipated, the legislation addresses many small business and innovation policies. Changes relevant to tech-based economic development affect SBIR, advanced manufacturing, and partnerships with defense labs.

  • SBIR/STTR pilot reauthorizations. The bill extends a series of pilot programs through FY 2022. Specifically, “admin funds,” which give agencies the ability to fund a broad range of activities to strengthen applicants and awardees; phase flexibility; Phase II and III commercialization; and, Phase 0 Proof of Concept programs are continued.
  • New SBIR pilots. The bill will require agencies to create a “commercialization pilot” that, unless the agency receives SBA permission to use an alternative, will award a second Phase II award to eligible businesses. A second new pilot aims to accelerate the pace of Defense SBIR awards.
  • SBIR business assistance services. The section also expands agencies’ technical assistance authority to include business assistance services. Agencies can now select one or more vendors to provide business services to Phase I and II awardees, who can also purchase up to $50,000 in services per project.
  • Advanced manufacturing demonstration. Each service will be required to have at least one activity demonstrating advanced manufacturing at a depot-level maintenance or arsenal facility, and a workforce development component is encouraged. The services may use grants, contracts, cooperative agreements and other partnership structures will be permitted.
  • Cybersecurity for small manufacturers and universities. The legislation directs the department, in consultation with NIST, to develop a thorough program to advance cybersecurity. Activities include security roadmaps, a new certification process and technology transfer priorities. A separate section requires the consideration of a cybersecurity apprenticeship program.

Also significant is at least one section not in the bill. The House’s version included language that may have prevented the SBA from operating the Growth Accelerators Challenge and Regional Innovation Clusters. That language is not in the agreed final draft of the bill.

The NDAA is expected to pass both chambers of Congress soon.

Note 1.  The reference to workforce development in the Advanced Manufacturing Demonstration section and the creation of a cybersecurity apprenticeship program within the Cybersecurity for Small Manufacturers and Universities” section.

Note 2. The conferees’ statements about apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship in these two sections.  See https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20180723/CRPT-115hrpt863.pdf for the entire text.

 

Activities to increase awareness of apprenticeship programs

The House bill contained a provision (sec. 559) that would require the Secretary of Defense to include, as part of service members’ transition counseling, information on apprenticeship programs and the use of veterans’ benefits to pay for these programs.

The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.

The House recedes.

The conferees note that apprenticeships provide a valuable career option for separating servicemembers and encourage the Department of Defense to ensure information on apprenticeship programs, and appropriate funding options, is easily accessible to those servicemembers who may be interested in pursuing an apprenticeship upon separating from the military.

 

 Manufacturing Trades Education Grant Program

The House bill contained a provision (sec. 3120C) that would authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish the Manufacturing Trades Education Grant Program.

The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.

The House recedes.

The conferees recognize the importance of technical skills-based training, including apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, and supports efforts to strengthen these programs. The conferees encourage further work with the Secretary of Energy on these efforts, and encourage the Secretary to continue to use such programs to further the missions of the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration.

 

 

NEW! Economic Development Administration Announces Grant to Support Growth in Los Lunas (NM)

The Economic Development Administration today (July 27) announced the award of a 1.3 million grant to the Village of Los Lunas, New Mexico, to make critical water infrastructure improvements needed to support business development in the region. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 3,000 jobs.

The project will install a 21,000-foot potable water pipeline that will run along New Mexico State Route 6 and the BNSF Railway. The new pipeline will increase intermodal freight capabilities in the region and will power the growth of the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution industries. This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Mid-Region Council of Governments. EDA funds the Mid-Region Council of Governments to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs.

 

NEW! Manufacturing Sector: ASTM International, Auburn University, NASA, EWI, and the MTC Launch Additive Manufacturing Centers of Excellence

Today at Auburn University, two groups launched centers of excellence in additive manufacturing aimed at accelerating R&D, standardization, and innovation in that field, also known as 3D printing.

Global standards developer ASTM International launched its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (www.amcoe.org) with Auburn University, NASA, manufacturing technology innovator EWI, and the UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). Auburn and NASA also formally launched the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME, eng.auburn.edu/ncame).

ASTM International President Katharine Morgan said, “The synergy among EWI, MTC, Auburn, and NASA will help fill the gaps in technical standards that this industry needs to drive innovation. As a result, we’ll empower industries that are eager to apply additive manufacturing to aerospace, auto, medical, and more.”

 

NEW! Pfizer Plans $465 Million Plant, 450 New Jobs in Kalamazoo County (MI)

The move will be the first of its kind for Pfizer, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with more than $52.5 billion in annual revenue. Without the upgrade, its operation in Portage is at risk of losing financial viability, it said.

The project will take eight years to be completed, the MEDC said. Pfizer plans to lay out more details on construction and timeline this afternoon.

Earlier this year, the company added about 100,000 square feet to its 4 million-square-foot Global Manufacturing complex in Portage, which opened in 1948 and employs more than 2,200 workers. The sprawling operation includes the manufacturing of sterile injectable drugs and supplying of pharmaceutical materials to drug makers.

The MEDC on Tuesday approved an incentives package valued at $11.5 million to support the project. A 10-year, $10.5 million Good Jobs for Michigan Withholding Tax Capture was awarded for the creation of 354 certified new jobs and a $1 million performance-based grant was awarded for the creation of 450 qualified new jobs.

Certified and qualified new jobs are essentially the same, with the main difference being that certified new jobs must be created within five years of an agreement between the company and state, and qualified new jobs have no legislative timetable, according to MEDC spokesman Otie McKinley. In this case, the project is generating a total of 450 new jobs, 354 of which are to be created within five years.

In addition, a 50 percent tax abatement over 15 years is being provided by Portage. A total of $32.1 million in revenue will be forgone by local taxing jurisdictions during the tax break, which expires in 2033, MLive reported.

The incentives are being offered because of the impact the move is projected to have on the local economy and the company has demonstrated a financial need, according to the MEDC. The new jobs will pay an average wage of $70,106, Pfizer said.

Pfizer has not received incentives from the Michigan Strategic Fund before but in 2001 did receive Economic Development Job Training assistance that has since concluded.

Council of Economic Advisers Report: Addressing America’s Reskilling Challenge

Today, the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) released a report outlining the importance of reskilling America’s workers for the jobs of the future.  The following is the executive summary.  Read the full report here.

Renewed economic growth, a booming job market, and the evolving nature of work are transforming the face of the labor market, resulting in changes in the skills American employers need, as well as new and different opportunities for American workers.

In the United States, investment in skill development is largely “frontloaded” during the first 25 years of life. After that, public contributions to formal education are substantially smaller, and employer training represents the most sizable investment in further developing the skills of the American workforce. Restrictions on the use of Federal funds, which may have been appropriate when specific programs were designed to address the labor market challenges of another era may not be optimal for the future reskilling challenges, especially those linked to trade and technological change.

Additionally, there is an information gap between employers, workers, and educational institutions. While employers presumably know which skills they value in an employee, workers themselves and educational institutions have less up-to-date knowledge, and their response lags behind the changing demand. Lacking incisive data, workers and educational institutions are separated from employers by an information gap that makes it difficult to prepare the workforce with the skills employers seek.  The information gap is exacerbated by a dearth of data and weak comparability of skill requirements. Coordination among these parties will be crucial for addressing America’s reskilling challenge.

Conclusions

Reviving American economic growth has been a major accomplishment of the Trump Administration’s first year. However, continuing the momentum will depend on the availability of workers with the appropriate skills to take advantage of new job opportunities, and on the ability to draw potential workers out of non-participation and into employment. The dynamics of technological change and innovation will also drive reskilling needs in the future, particularly for workers without a college education. The concentration of investment in skill development and education among workers with a bachelor’s degree and those under age 25 is a strong indication that America’s reskilling effort is not optimized to address future challenges.

Tighter connections between participants in reskilling activities, and more coordination and information sharing, will be critical to success. American workers may have incentives to pursue retraining, but the information gap between workers, education institutions, and industry job creators remains a major hurdle. The Federal government has a unique role to play by re-examining current financial assistance spending, and redesigning programs to better serve anticipated needs.

Latest Coal Communities Economic Diversification Newsletter Now Available

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) reports:

 

The latest installment of “Growing Stronger Economies in Our Nation’s Coal Communities” is now available.  This curated bi-weekly newsletter is a joint resource from the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the NADO Research Foundation.  NACo and NADO are collaborating on a POWER technical assistance grant generously provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Denver Regional Office.  The newsletter provides a national perspective on diversification efforts in coal communities, resources and funding opportunities, and upcoming events and trainings to support your work in a variety of areas to improve economic development, infrastructure, and quality of life.  It is delivered every other Wednesday.  Click here to read the July 18 issue.  E-mail Brett Schwartz at [email protected] to join the mailing list.

 

HUD Announces Recipients of Grants-in-Aid

The Department of Housing and Urban Development today  (July 20) published a notice listing the recipients of  FY2017 Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB) grants; FY2017 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants; and FY2017  Research and Evaluation, Demonstrations and Data Analysis and Utilization Program grants.  The full background and list of grantees can be found at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-07-20/pdf/2018-15486.pdf.  The inset table shows the Rural Capacity and Research grant recipients.  The University of Idaho and The Woodstock Institute will explore the social and economic impact of Community Development Block Grants.

Excerpts:

The FY2017 Research and Evaluation, Demonstrations and Data Analysis and Utilization Program competition was announced in the NOFA published on grants.gov on August 16, 2017, FR-6100-N-29, and which closed on October 15, 2017. Applications were rated and selected for funding based on selection criteria contained in the NOFA. $890,661 was awarded to 3 recipients to focus on  (1) Child Trajectories in HUD-Assisted Housing where proposed projects should focus on secondary data analysis using administrative data, survey data, or linked data products (government or other sources) to assess long-term child  outcomes among children who reside or resided in HUD-assisted housing; and  (2) The Social and Economic Impacts of the Community Development Block Grant Program to develop a better understanding of the effects of specific Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) eligible activities.  Through this project, HUD seeks to identify objective, quantifiable outcome measures that can be attributed to specific CDBG activities to inform policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels.

 

HUD Awards $144 Million to Revitalize Five Neighborhoods

  1. S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson this week today announced five communities across the country will receive a combined $144 million to redevelop severely distressed public or assisted housing and to revitalize surrounding neighborhoods. Provided through HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, these grants, and the more than $1 billion they will stimulate from other sources, will transform long-struggling neighborhoods and distressed HUD-assisted housing.

HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted

housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders, such as public housing authorities, cities, schools, police, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers, come together to create and implement a plan that revitalizes distressed HUD housing and addresses the challenges in the surrounding neighborhood. The program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant property, housing, businesses, services and schools.

Choice Neighborhoods is focused on three core goals:

  1. Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood;
  2. People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education; and
  3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.

The five awardees will replace 1,788 severely distressed public housing units with 3,800 new mixed-income, mixed-use housing units as part of an overall effort to revitalize neighborhoods. For every $1 in Choice Neighborhoods funding they receive, the awardees and their partners will leverage an additional $9.40 in public and private funding for their project proposals. Together, these five communities are leveraging an initial $1.35 billion through other public/private sources to magnify their impact.

Read more about these communities’ transformation plans.

Awardee(s) Target Neighborhood Amount
City of Baltimore, Maryland/Housing Authority of Baltimore City Perkins, Somerset, and Oldtown Neighborhoods $30,000,000
City of Flint, Michigan/Flint Housing Commission South Flint $30,000,000
City of Phoenix, Arizona Edison-Eastlake Community $30,000,000
City of Shreveport, Louisiana/Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport Allendale, Ledbetter Heights, and West Edge Neighborhoods $24,214,284
City of Tulsa, Oklahoma/Housing Authority of the City of Tulsa Eugene Field Neighborhood $30,000,000

National Skills Coalition Releases Report Examining Partnerships between Businesses and Community Colleges

The National Skills Coalition has released a report examining the benefits of partnership between business and community colleges.

Introductory Essay: https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/news/blog/new-report-makes-the-case-for-partnerships-between-businesses-and-community-colleges

Report:

https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/Powerful-Partners-Businesses-and-Community-Colleges.pdf

BEA Publishes New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 2017

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on July 11 that expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses totaled $259.6 billion in 2017, down 32 percent from $379.7 billion in 2016.

Additional highlights of the statistics on new foreign direct investment for 2017:

  • Expenditures for acquisitions were $253.2 billion, expenditures to establish new U.S. businesses were $4.1 billion, and expenditures to expand existing foreign-owned businesses were $2.4 billion.
  • Total planned greenfield investment expenditures—expenditures to establish new U.S. businesses and to expand existing foreign-owned U.S. businesses—for investments initiated in 2017, which include both first-year spending and planned spending in other years, totaled $24.8 billion.
  • Employment at newly acquired, established, or expanded foreign-owned businesses in the United States was 554,300 in 2017.

For more information, read the full report.

 

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

Primary site for Disaster Recovery Assistance: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

Funding Assistance for Recovery Efforts:

 

USDA Announces Nearly $2 Billion Now Available for Assistance for Eligible Producers Affected by 2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today (July 16) announced that agricultural producers affected by hurricanes and wildfires in 2017 now may apply for assistance to help recover and rebuild their farming operations. Signup begins July 16, 2018, and continues through November 16, 2018.

See: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/07/16/nearly-2-billion-now-available-eligible-producers-affected-2017

USDA Partners to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure for Nearly 250,000 People in 103 Communities in 35 States

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today (July 16) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $267 million in 103 infrastructure projects (PDF, 298 KB) to upgrade water and wastewater systems in rural communities.

“Robust, modern infrastructure is foundational for quality of life and economic opportunity – no matter what zip code you live in,” Hazlett said. “Under Secretary Perdue’s leadership, USDA is committed to being a strong partner in addressing rural infrastructure needs to support a more prosperous future in rural communities.”

USDA is making investments in 35 states through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funds can be used to finance drinking water, storm water drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

For the complete release and listing of projects by community, see https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/07/16/usda-partners-improve-rural-water-infrastructure-nearly-250000

Disaster Resilience (DR) Research Grants Program Department of Commerce/ National Institute of Standards and Technology

The Disaster Resilience (DR) Research Grants Program seeks applications from eligible applicants to conduct research aimed at advancing the principles of resilience in building design and building codes and standards.  Research proposals must support the overall effort of developing science-based building codes by evaluating potential technologies and architectural design criteria to improve disaster resilience in the built environment.  Research projects must be aligned with existing NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) Disaster Resilience programs, as described in Section I. of this NOFO/Full Announcement, and any application that is non-research related (such as developing a product) will be disqualified.

 

EDA Issues NOFO for $587M in Supplemental Funding for Areas Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes, Wildfires and Other Disasters

As noted above, EDA has issued a NOFO (EDA-2018-DISASTER) inviting applications for $587 million in grants available to eligible entities to address economic challenges in disaster-impacted areas. These grants will support disaster recovery activities in areas receiving a major disaster designation as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and wildfires and other 2017 natural disasters. EDA plans to accept proposals on a rolling basis until all funds are obligated. See listing above and these links below for details:

 

Related Resources – NonFederal:

Updates on FEMA Response in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations

  • Is your home, business or community included in a federally declared emergency or disaster area? You can find the latest federal emergency and disaster declarations, as well as prior declarations for other areas, on FEMA’s disaster declarations webpage.

Amended Declarations

Existing Declarations may be subsequently amended to expand covered areas, provide notification that an incident has been closed, or make other necessary changes.

These are posted in the Federal Register here: https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-emergency-management-agency#documents

Economic Recovery Support

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