U.S. Secretary of Labor announces $10 million in grants to expand technology-based...

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Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:20pm EST 

U.S. Secretary of Labor announces $10 million in grants to expand
technology-based learning

Awards will go to 20 projects in 16 states 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine
L. Chao today announced $10 million in grants to increase access to
technology-based learning. Twenty projects were selected from a pool of 193
applications.

"These $10 million in grants will increase workers' access to skills training
through the Internet, video teleconferencing and other technology-based
learning media," said Secretary Chao. 

Technology-based learning broadly refers to transmitting knowledge through
electronic means, whether over the Internet, through video conferencing, by
DVD or via other media. It encompasses scheduled, teacher-student instruction
as well as unscheduled, self-directed learning.

Successful applications came from organizations in 16 states. California,
Florida, Nevada and Utah each had two proposals chosen.  Nine projects involve
health care, five cover information technology, two focus on advanced
manufacturing and one will train participants in "green" construction skills. 
The remaining projects involve the transportation, geospatial technology and
energy industries.  Individual awards start at just over $150,000 and run up
to almost $1 million.  

The projects will employ a variety of technology-based learning applications,
ranging from setting up a "virtual hospital" to help train nurses to using
online chat rooms to provide students with one-on-one support.  In addition,
award-winning projects have teamed up with growing industries, area workforce
and economic development entities, and educational institutions including
community and four-year colleges. Today's grantees and their partners will
carry out their activities over a three-year period.

This competition was announced in the Federal Register on June 20, 2008, and
is part of the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration's
Technology-Based Learning Initiative, which was launched in 2006. 

Editor's Note: A list of award-winning organizations and relevant industries
follows this news release.

    2009 Technology-Based Learning Grants
    Award-Winning Organizations

    Organization       City         State  Industry                  Amount

    Able-Disabled      San Diego    Calif. Information technology    $584,600
    Advocacy, Inc.

    County of Orange,  Santa Ana    Calif. Health care               $500,000
    OC Community
    Resources

    University of      Adams        Colo.  Energy                    $502,596
    Colorado, Denver

    Gulf Coast         Panama City  Fla.   Advanced manufacturing    $499,583
    Community
    College

    Hillsborough       Tampa        Fla.   Advanced manufacturing    $498,815
    Community
    College

    State of Illinois  Springfield  Ill.   Information technology    $500,000

    Madisonville       Madisonville Ky.    Health care               $425,181
    Community
    College

    Dillard            New Orleans  La.    Construction              $969,090
    University

    The Guidance       Southgate    Mich.  Health care               $500,000
    Center

    College of         Las Vegas    Nev.   Health care               $420,727
    Southern Nevada

    Reno Community     Reno         Nev.   Transportation            $499,900
    Services Agency

    The Research       Albany       N.Y.   Health care               $365,666
    Foundation of
    the State
    University of
    New York

    Wake Technical     Raleigh      N.C.   Information technology    $383,686
    Community
    College

    Temple             Philadelphia Pa.    Information technology    $695,569
    University
    Center for
    Social Policy
    and Community
    Development

    Greenville         Greenville   S.C.   Health care               $154,018
    Technical
    College

    North Central      Gainesville  Tex.   Health care               $538,947
    Texas College

    Ogden-Weber        Weber        Utah   Information technology    $500,000
    Applied
    Technology
    College

    Western Governors  Salt Lake    Utah   Health care               $500,000
    University         City

    Northern Virginia  Annandale    Va.    Geospatial technology     $492,458
    Community
    College

    West Virginia      Parkersburg  W.Va.  Health care               $469,164
    University at
    Parkersburg

                                                           Total  $10,000,000



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SOURCE  U.S. Department of Labor

Jennifer Kaplan, +1-202-693-5052, or Terry Shawn, +1-202-693-4676, both U.S.
Department of Labor
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