III. SKILL AND COMPETENCY NEEDS

High-Growth/High-Demand Industries

No. Community-Based Job Training Grants are intended to target industries that are high-growth or high-demand in the local economy. The 14 industries identified as high-growth under the President’s High-Growth Job Training Initiative are national in scope and may not reflect the needs of the local economy. Applicants may propose activities that relate to any industry provided that they can demonstrate in the statement of need that the industry satisfies ETA’s criteria for a high-growth/high-demand industry. As set forth in the SGA at 71 Fed. Reg. 37950 of the SGA (July 3, 2006), a high-growth or high-demand industry must meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) is projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy; (2) has a significant impact on the economy overall; (3) impacts the growth of other industries; (4) is being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers; or (5) is a new and emerging business that is projected to grow.

The SGA mentions five characteristics of high-growth/high-demand industries. How many of these characteristics must an industry meet in order to qualify as high-growth/high-demand for this solicitation?

The SGA identifies high-growth/high-demand industries as those that meet one or more specified criteria. Accordingly, to be considered a high-growth/high-demand industry under this SGA, an industry must meet at least one of the following criteria: (1) is projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy; (2) has a significant impact on the economy overall; (3) impacts the growth of other industries; (4) is being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers; or (5) is a new and emerging business that is projected to grow.

May an "industry" include more than one occupation, e.g., nursing, radiography, respiratory care, etc?

Applicants may target a range of occupations within a high-growth/high-demand industry.

Are there a specific number of projected jobs or percent of growth in an industry that qualifies it as a local high-growth industry?

No. ETA does not incorporate specific thresholds into its criteria for high-growth/high-demand industries. Rather, a high-growth or high-demand industry must meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) is projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy; (2) has a significant impact on the economy overall; (3) impacts the growth of other industries; (4) is being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers; or (5) is a new and emerging business that is projected to grow. In the statement of need, applicants should provide supporting data to establish that the identified industry satisfies ETA’s criteria for a high-growth/high-demand industry in the local economy. This data may include industry growth projections, industry data from trade associations or direct information from industry; and other transactional data, such as job vacancies.

There are a number of resources available to assist with the identification of local high-growth/high-demand industries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov) provides information about national, regional, state, and local economic conditions. The Census Bureau has a number of data tools that provide local, state, and national industry and workforce data at http://lehd.dsd.census.gov/led/datatools/datatools.html. In addition, each state provides state and local labor market information about jobs, unemployment, wages, industries, and occupations through the state department of labor. State and national trade associations also provide industry data. As strategic partners, the workforce investment system, including state and local Workforce Investment Boards, can assist applicants in locating additional information on the local economy, existing workforce partnerships and workforce development projects, and other transactional data, such as job vacancies. Additionally, business and industry can provide accurate and “real time” labor market information.