November 20, 2015 - View this as a web page - View eblast from November 13, 2015

$100 Million in Grants under TechHire Program

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has announced the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds under the TechHire partnership and grant program. Grant funds will be awarded to approximately 30 to 40 public and private partnerships with grants ranging from $2 - $5 million. This grant program is designed to equip individuals with the skills they need through innovative approaches that can rapidly train workers for and connect them to well-paying, mid level and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of industries such as IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and broadband. This funding opportunity is open to all eligible applicants. Specifically, grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of a public and private partnership of entities that includes:

• 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, or a consortium of three or more of businesses, or at least three independent businesses.

For more information please see the funding opportunity notice on Grants.gov. If you have any questions please contact Mary Ann Pacelli

Supplier Scouting Opportunities

Don't Forget about the two Federal Transit Administration Supplier Scouting Opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration is seeking domestic manufacturers for the following items:

• Horizontal Lifeline Maintenance Tie Back Systems will be used as the maintenance personnel safeguard system on the Downtown Transit Center being constructed in Indianapolis, IN.
• Digital Mobile Radio Systems will serve as the radio communications system for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), increasing the system capacity and allowing the Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSCA) to have a dedicated talk group on KCATA's system.

Both items must comply with Buy America procurement requirements. To view these opportunities, please visit the Supplier Scouting Group on MEP Connect. MEP Centers should submit information about potential matching manufacturers via MEP Connect by December 4. 2015.

For more info, contact Samm Bowman 301-975-5978 or Dave Stieren 301-915-3197.

MEP Regional Forums - State Competitions

As part of an aggressive outreach effort, MEP recently conducted three Regional Forums for the upcoming MEP State Competition. These forums provided interested entities more information about the MEP program, the state competition, and answered any questions regarding the upcoming funding announcement. The presentations and list of participants from each forum is available on our website (click here). The FAQ's will be posted soon.

Any questions related to the upcoming MEP State Competition can be submitted to mepffo@nist.gov.

Financial Analysis Management Assessment

NIST MEP is looking for 10 Centers to pilot a new initiative in conjunction with the overall, ongoing effort to refresh the MEP System in accordance with Administration and Departmental objectives. The Financial Analysis Management Assessment being piloted will provide Centers with access to a no-cost comprehensive and constructive review of policies and procedures in accordance with numerous governing financial requirements and industry guidelines
To learn more click here. If you are interested in participating please contact Mellissa Ayala.

MEP National Network Vacancies

CITEC Business Solutions is hiring a new Executive Director to take over the helm of the not-for-profit consulting organization, effective January 1, 2016. Headquartered in Potsdam, New York, CITEC provides transformative consulting and implementation assistance to SMEs located across the seven counties of northern New York State. The Executive Director is responsible for maintaining CITEC's vision, mission and core values, as well as defining and directing CITEC's resources to achieve our strategic and operating goals. The position is accountable for the performance of all functions within the company, including its relationships with sponsors, partner organizations and government officials.

CITEC is also currently seeking a Business Advisor with a background in continuous improvement and a passion to help North Country companies be more competitive, profitable and ready for growth. In this position, you will spend the majority of your time delivering "best in class" Lean and/or Six Sigma services to our customers, as well as a portion of your time developing and nurturing client relationships.

For more information and to apply for either position, please click here.

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