On
November 17, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the White House issued a funding
announcement releasing $100 million
in grants as a part of the Obama Administration’s TechHire
Initiative, which specifically calls out
funding to train workers in the cybersecurity and broadband industries.
DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) expects to award 30-40
grants ranging from $2 million to $5 million. Applications for the
two-year grant are due March 11, 2016 with projects beginning June 1, 2016.
The
White House kicked
off the
TechHire initiative in the Spring of 2015, with 21 communities committing to
using data and innovative hiring practices to expand openness to
non-traditional hiring; preparing students in months, not years; and activating
local leadership to connect people to jobs.
According to DOL, the United States
has about 5.4 million jobs open today in software development, network administration
and cybersecurity with projected growth at a rate that is two-thirds higher
than the average for all jobs. To help close the digital divide and make
America more competitive in global innovation, the White House and DOL designed
a public-private partnership grant program to connect target
populations access to new and innovative training through a multi-sector
approach.
The TechHire Initiative
focuses on building the American workforce in H-1B visa industries. H-1B
visas, a non-immigrant visa, enables U.S. employers to recruit and employ
foreign professionals in specialty occupations in the United States for a specified
period. These H-1B visa industries are IT and IT-related industries such as
cybersecurity and broadband, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial
services, and educational services. TechHire is providing funding to
partnerships, which will rapidly train workers and connect them to high-skilled
and high-growth jobs across these specific industries.
While TechHire does not fund
infrastructure or equipment, this program is one of the more substantial
federal grants available, specifically geared to training workers in the
broadband and cybersecurity sector. If your company is interested in a
grant to cover workforce innovation and help to train and grow skilled workers,
TechHire represents a unique opportunity to participate in a White House initiative.
Applicants must select one of
three program tracks and partner with at least three employers or a regional
industry association with at least three employer partners representing the
H-1B occupations and industries. Applicants may propose to serve a local,
regional, or multi-regional area within or across state lines. Applicants
for a grant must apply as a public-private partnership where the lead applicant
includes a representative from each of the following:
·
the public workforce
investment system;
·
education and training
providers, such as community colleges, community-based and faith-based
organizations, and “bootcamp” style tech programs; and
·
a business-related nonprofit
organization, an organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the
expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, a consortium of three or
more of businesses, or at least three independent businesses. Business-related
nonprofit organizations include trade or industry associations such as local
Chambers of Commerce, Technology Associations, Chief Information Officer
Roundtables, small business federations, and labor-management
organizations. For-profit consortia of businesses may participate in the
primary partnership but may not be the lead applicant. Eligible lead applicants
must be a public or non-profit organization.
TechHire seeks to address the
following goals:
1. Expand
access to accelerated learning options that provide the fastest paths to good
jobs, such as “bootcamp” style programs, online options, and competency-based
programs to provide the skills required for employment in three months to two
years among those with historic barriers to accessing employment and training;
2. Improve
the likelihood that those populations complete training and enter employment,
through specialized training strategies, supportive services and other focused
participant services that assist targeted populations to overcome barriers,
including networking and job search, active job development, transportation,
mentoring, and financial counseling;
3. Connect
those who have received training or who already have the skills required for
employment, but are being overlooked, to employment, paid internships, or
Registered Apprenticeship opportunities;
4. Demonstrate
strong commitment to customer-centered design and excellence in customer
experience; and
5. Ensure
that innovations form the basis for broader change and sustainability over time
and that a clear strategy exists for adapting to rapidly changing market needs
after the initial period of the grant.
Specifically, the grant
targets the following populations: out-of-secondary school youth and young
adults between the ages of 17 and 29 with barriers to training and employment,
or individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency,
or individuals with criminal records. These individuals must be at least 17
years of age and out of secondary school.
If you are interested in
learning more about TechHire, forming a partnership, or exploring other federal
funding opportunities for broadband, please contact Jennifer Holtz at jholtz@kelleydrye.com or
any member of the Communications Practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment