Working Hard And Working Smart: Industry Sectors Strategy Institute

Here you'll find:

• A brief recap of Working Hard and Working Smart: Industry Sectors Strategy Institute held Jan. 22-24, 2008 in Norman;
• Presentations from the Institute;
• State and federal grant funding opportunities and other grant resources;
• Contacts and other useful resources for developing your regional workforce and economy.

Governor's Council Helps Oklahoma Find Regional Solutions for Economic Development

The Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development (GCWED) and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently hosted Working Hard and Working Smart: Industry Sectors Strategy Institute, a three-day workshop focusing on regional solutions to workforce challenges facing Oklahoma's primary industries and the employers within them.

Oklahoma, like many states, faces critical workforce shortages as well as workforce skills shortages. Through regional partnerships of educators, economic developers, workforce professionals, businesses, and other stakeholders, solutions are being designed to meet those needs today and in the future. Business leaders from health care, manufacturing, aerospace and energy industries also attended the Institute. Each addressed the critical shortages of qualified job seekers within their industries with team members.

All participants were required to gather and work in teams representing different entities. Each team included representatives from K-12, higher education, Career Tech, economic development organizations, social services, adult education programs, employment programs, and industry representatives.

Teams developed a plan for collaboratively serving key industries within the state's regions. Click to Continue...

Institute Presentations & Documents:
Industry Sectors Strategy Institute Prework
Manufacturing Sector Strategy Report: Southwest Oklahoma Region
Manufacturing: The True Story
Eastern Region Health Care Coalition Proposed Strategic Plan
Oklahoma: The Global Aerospace Destination
Building Business & Education Partnerships
How Can Sector Strategies Promote Regional Competitiveness?
The Role of Data and Intelligence
Building & Sustaining Economic Competitiveness
Sector Strategies and the Call Center Industry
Data & Research: State Sector Studies
What If

Available Grants & Grant Resources:

Grants are available from Commerce to fund the development of regional skills partnerships created to address workforce issues across the state and to implement the plans developed by Institute teams to collaboratively serve key industries within their regions.

RFQ-FYO8-32-0115
Proposal Deadline: 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
The following federal grants are also currently available from the U.S. Department of Labor for workforce and economic development initiatives:

Grant Solicitation for the STEM Opportunities in the Workforce System
Preliminary Proposal Deadline: 4 p.m. March 11, 2008
Final proposals will be accepted from successful Phase I applicants and they will be notified of specific due dates.

Grant Solicitation for Job Training Iniatitive for Energy & Construction Industries
Proposal Deadline: 4 p.m. March 25, 2008
Application webinar: Feb. 1 (for access information, visit www.workforce3one.org .)

Regional Innovation Grants: Use of National Emergency Grants under the WIA
Grant applications must be submitted through the NEG electronic system. For a PIN# and specific proposal deadlines, contact Jeanette Provost, 202-693-3359 or provost.jeanette@dol.gov .

Grant Resources:

Commerce Grants & Funding

Grant Writing Resources

www.grants.gov

www.fdcenter.org - offers some free information on foundation dollars and allows unlimited research on existing foundations.

www.cos.org - Community of Science (COS) provides good information resources for research grants.

www.seliger.com - a private company that you can contract with to write grants. However, it offers a free newsletter with grant writing tips and grant funding announcements.

www.cdpublications.com - offers several newsletters, including the Federal Assistance Monitor, about various grant opportunities.

www.thegrantinstitute.com - offers grant writing workshops around the country.

Contacts:

Terry Watson
405-815-5206

Jeane Burruss
405-815-5256

Hugh Doherty
405-815-5285

Lydia Johnson
405-815-5365

More Workforce Resources:
www.GrowOklahoma.com
WorkKeys & Career Readiness
Job Listings & Job Fairs