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West Virginia Unemployment Grant

June 7th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

A new West Virginia unemployment grant could go straight to the heart of the economic problems of some regions in the state. They’re the regions traditionally suffering from high jobless rates, and the grant that would give them the help they need is called “WIRED.”

“This regional economic development strategy,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao when she was announcing the second generation of the grants, “transcends political boundaries to better leverage a region’s assets to help workers succeed in the 21st century worldwide economy.”

Now the U.S. Labor Department has announced the third generation of the grants. They’re highly competitive. First, the governor of every state gets a letter from Secretary Chao announcing the competition. Then each governor may submit only two proposals. The grants may be for a maximum of $5 million each, and the regions competing must show where they’re receiving other sources of funding, so the Labor Department grant can complement those funds.

WIRED stands for the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development Initiative. Thanks to WIRED, the Labor Department has granted 26 regions around the U.S. a total of $260 million to create high-paying, highly-skilled jobs for U.S. workers in those regions where the economy has remained stagnant despite general growth. Some of the regions receiving WIRED grants are northern California, the Mississippi/Arkansas Delta northern Alabama, northern Indiana, and the Delaware Valley.

“The Third Generation of WIRED,” said Emily Stover DeRocco, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, “is designed to position local Workforce Investment Boards as leaders of a strategic regional partnership.” She said that the grants could facilitate economic transformation in regions around the U.S. She said it involves talent development strategies and what she called “integration with regional development.” The result is a partnership that can “improve employment and advancement opportunities for workers.”

In announcing the earlier, second generation of grants, Secretary Chao also noted that “Investing in area workforces through this collaborative approach will boost entire regions’ economic vitality.”

The purpose of WIRED, as the name suggests, is to reward “innovative” solutions to regional joblessness.