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South Dakota Unemployment Grant

June 7th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Northern Alabama, Northern Indiana, and the Delaware Valley. Northern California and the Mississippi/Arkansas Delta. What do these places all have in common?

They all encompass regions that have suffered slow growth and high jobless rates. And they have all been the beneficiaries of WIRED grants that have helped kick-start their stalled economies.

A South Dakota unemployment grant could do the same thing for parts of the state that have suffered from higher-than-average unemployment. The U.S. Department of Labor has just announced its third generation of the WIRED grants, an extremely competitive funding program that rewards plans that “think outside the box” when it comes to developing plans to prop up sagging economies.

The grant’s official name is the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development Initiative. Since its inception, the Labor Department has pumped $260 million worth of WIRED grants into 26 different regions throughout the U.S. Thanks to the program, 10 different federal agencies have worked together to develop high-paying, highly-skilled jobs – the kinds of jobs needed to compete in a rapidly changing global economy.

As Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao described it when she announced the second round of WIRED grants, “Investing in area workforces through this collaborative approach will boost entire regions’ economic vitality.” She added that the regional economic development plan “transcends political boundaries to better leverage a region’s assets to help workers succeed in the 21st century worldwide economy.”

Emily Stover DeRocco, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, emphasizes the benefits of partnership. She said the Third Generation of WIRED is designed “to position local Workforce Investment Boards as leaders of a strategic regional partnership.” And she noted that “through talent development strategies and integration with regional economic development, this partnership can drive economic transformation in regions across the country and improve employment and advancement opportunities for workers.”

First, Secretary Chao sends letters announcing a new round of the grants to governors. They in turn pick only two proposals from those that cross their desks. Each of those proposals may be for up to $5 million dollars.