Applications open for Pennsylvania Industry Partnership Grant

This Notice of Grant Availability (NGA) seeks applications to support Industry Partnership initiatives across PA that:

• Work to identify workforce, education & training, and economic development needs of businesses and workers within a priority industry sector and proposed project area
• Coordinate regional teams to support industry needs
• Identify public and community resources to address industry identified needs
• Increase collaboration among businesses within a targeted industry sector.

Goals

The goal of this grant opportunity is to increase regional collaboration to support business needs within an industry sector. Applicants must create a clear plan to evaluate the effectiveness of their proposed strategies to address business identified priorities.

Overall goals of the Industry Partnership program are:

• Eliminate silos by aligning local, regional, and state education, workforce and economic development initiatives, including state and regional Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act plans
• Increase occupational, career pathway and economic opportunities for all Pennsylvania residents (i.e. students, youth and workers) particularly those from underrepresented, under resourced, and underserved communities
• Increase connections, collaboration, and communication between regional/local identified priority industries
• Explore and implement new approaches taking advantage of opportunities and industry specific solutions
• Grow targeted industry sectors who could benefit from sector strategies approaches; include businesses that have traditionally been left out of these initiatives, including, but not limited to, small businesses, and minority- and women-owned businesses
• Identify, develop, and act upon solutions to address workforce issues and challenges, that are supported by relevant data and information
• Create a long-lasting partnership and make best use of available funds/resources
• Create and implement a strong evaluation plan that meets partnership performance metrics following the PA Workforce Development Board’s adopted evidence of effectiveness definition.

Funding Information

The Department may set grant awards at amounts lesser than $250,000/$400,000 and distribute grant awards as it determines necessary and appropriate to account for the applications received.

Eligibility Criteria 

Eligible applicants include local workforce development boards and partner groups of local workforce development boards overseeing the county or board area in which the partnership will operate, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, educational and postsecondary educational organizations, labor organizations, business associations, and economic development entities, to the extent these organizations can bring together businesses i.e., employer partners within the priority industry served by the application. If the applicant is an organization other than a local workforce development board or partner group of boards, then the local board or partner group of boards overseeing the county or board area in which the partnership will operate, must demonstrate co-operation with the Industry Partnership and provide a letter of support. The applicant(s) must be capable of bringing together relevant partners, especially employers, to achieve the overall project goals of this NGA. Additionally, the lead applicant must demonstrate the ability to coordinate the project design and implementation of the project, manage the project budget, and implement a strategy to collect, analyze, and report performance outcomes.

For more information, visit PDLl.