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ETA News Release: [Dec. 17, 2007]
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Contact Name:
Phone Number: |
Jennifer Kaplan
(202) 693-5052 |
Terry Shawn
(202) 693-4676 |
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U.S. Department of Labor announces $250,000 grant to help southwestern Pennsylvania grow advanced energy industry
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to assist Pennsylvania’s plans for regional economic development in clean energy markets. Plans include the development of technologies to help support southwestern Pennsylvania’s energy independence strategy.
“Pennsylvanians will benefit from the innovative strategies the commonwealth is designing to create good career opportunities in the clean energy sector of southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “This effort will help reinvigorate older industries in the area and attract new companies that will boost the region’s economy.”
The region identified for this project includes the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington and Westmoreland. The project will utilize resources from public and private sector programs to support the region’s strategies for building a workforce prepared for careers in the emerging clean energy industry. The core leadership group for this project includes representatives from five area community colleges and five of the local workforce investment boards to help promote careers in the clean energy industry and to support the region’s goal of establishing up to 13,000 new jobs. Partner community colleges also will work to establish training curricula to build a pipeline of skilled workers.
Regional Innovation Grants are drawn from National Emergency Grant funds to assist state workforce agencies and local workforce investment boards, as well as their key partners, in the design and development of comprehensive and strategic regional plans focused on talent development that is aligned with the demands of the 21st century economy.
National Emergency Grants are part of the Secretary of Labor’s discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state’s ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information on National Emergency Grants, please visit www.doleta.gov/NEG.
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U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
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