WASHINGTON - Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today launched the Greater Kansas City region's WIRED (Work Force Innovation in Regional Economic Development) initiative. She was joined by Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy K. Baruah.

"Advanced manufacturing, health care and biotechnology are industries vital to the American economy, and OneKC will use WIRED to transform its education and work-force preparation system to better prepare workers for careers in these critical sectors," 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."

The bistate Kansas City region will drive an economic and work-force development transformation in 18 counties. OneKC WIRED aims to transform the region's patchwork of employment and training programs into a single continuum of learning. Additionally, OneKC WIRED will establish formal pathways for current and future workers in the biotechnology, health care and advanced manufacturing sectors and increase the effectiveness of public work-force system services to business and industry.

OneKC WIRED will integrate a collection of currently unconnected activities into a comprehensive system of economic development, work-force development, education and training to meet the region's needs, especially in targeted high-growth, high-demand industries.

On Feb. 1, the U.S. Department of Labor selected Greater Kansas City 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.

The Department of Labor will shortly announce a competition for funding under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative for the advanced manufacturing industry.

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.