As mentioned in several previous blog postings, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allocated $750 Million to the Department of Labor (DOL) in competitive grants to help grow the energy, green and other "new economy" workers. $500 million in grants were announced earlier this summer; and last week, DOL announced the remaining $250 million for health care worker training and for "high growth industries". The goal for DOL is to allocate 45-65 grants totaling $2-$5 million each.

According to the grant announcement for health care, DOL is interested in projects that provide training and support career progression along the nursing career pathway as well as short-term skills certification or credentialing that enables incumbent workers to advance along a career ladder in health care. The options include licenses, certificates, and degrees from accredited nursing programs that lead to the Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) or vocational licensure for LPNs and positions as CNAs. DOL is also interested in academic strategies that help incumbent workers advance from an ADN to the bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) since many RNs with an ADN find it beneficial to enter bachelors programs to prepare for a broader scope of nursing practice.

In this grant, DOL is also soliciting grant applications that address current and forecasted workforce shortages that provide workers with paths to career enhancement opportunities in high growth, high demand, and economically vital sectors of the American economy. ETA will target education and skills development resources toward helping workers gain skills needed to build successful careers in local growing industries.

Required partners in this grant must include at least one entity from each of the following three categories: The public workforce investment system, such as local Workforce Investment Boards and their One Stop systems; public and private employers, such as health care providers when appropriate, and industry-related organizations; and the education and training community, which includes the

continuum of education from secondary schools to community and technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities, apprenticeship programs, technical and vocational training institutions, and other education and training entities.

Grant applications are due 10/5/09. Call your local partners to see how you can participate in this grant.

You can find out more about this and the other grant available at the DOL-ETA web site:

http://www.doleta.gov/grants/