The article reports on the launch of Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative in 2005 by the Department of Labor (DOL) in the U.S. The said department awarded more than $300 million in grants to regional consortiums in support of long-term talent development and lifelong learning activities. Meanwhile, DOL and the Council on Competitivenes partnered to produce a report titled, "Cooperate: A Practitioner's Guide for Effective Alignment of Regional Development and Higher Education."