ETA Announces Availability of $125 Million in Grant Funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants; Emphasizes Objective of Building Capacity for Community Colleges to Train for High-Growth and High-Demand Industries

Community-Based Job Training Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to support workforce training for high-growth/high- demand industries through the national system of community and technical colleges. The primary purpose of these grants is to build the capacity of community colleges to train workers to develop the skills required to succeed in local or regional: (i) Industries and occupations that are expected to experience high-growth and (ii) industries where demand for qualified workers is outstripping the supply.

Funds will be awarded to individual community and technical colleges, community college districts, state community college systems, and One-Stop Career Centers to support or engage in a combination of capacity building and training activities for the purpose of building the capacity of community colleges to train for careers in high-growth/ high-demand industries in the local and/or regional economies. This Solicitation contains an exception for rural areas and other communities that are educationally underserved due to their lack of access to community or technical colleges.

In awarding Community-Based Job Training Grants, every effort will be made to fairly distribute grants across rural and urban areas and across the different geographic regions of the United States. It is anticipated that individual awards will range from $500,000 to $2 million.

ETA has published the solicitation in the July 3 FEDERAL REGISTER. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-5951.pdf

This solicitation consists of eight parts:

* Part I provides background information on the Employment and Training Administration’s demand-driven vision and Community-Based Job Training Grants, and a description of the critical elements of Community-Based Job Training Grants.

* Part II describes the size and nature of the anticipated awards.

* Part III describes eligibility information and other grant specifications.

* Part IV provides information on the application and submission process.

* Part V describes the criteria against which applications will be reviewed and explains the proposal review process.

* Part VI provides award administration information.

* Part VII contains DOL agency contact information.

* Part VIII lists additional resources of interest to applicants.

The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is August 29, 2006.

Virtual Prospective Applicant Conferences will be held for this grant competition. The dates and access information for these Prospective Applicant Conferences will be posted on ETA’s Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm.

· Announcement of Solicitation (July 3 FEDERAL REGISTER)

· Fact Sheet: Community-Based Job Training Grants

· Listing of Community-Based Job Training Grant Recipients in 2005

· ETA’s Solicitation for Grant Applications Web Page

America’s CareerInfoNet http://www.acinet.org/ provides valuable databases for applicants. The new Industry Profile http://www.acinet.org/industry/ind_state.aspx?id=8&nodeid=10 tool debuted on June 30, 2006. It enables users to quickly identify high-growth, in-demand industries, permitting the assembly of profile reports with current, historical and projected employment and wage information at county, metropolitan, state and national levels. Profiles include "annual employment," "total wages," and "average numbers of establishments."

(Many thanks to Kevin Thompson and Chris Gibbons for passing this along. Russ)