1. Integrate workforce and economic development efforts more effectively
2. Foster regional collaboration on an unprecedented scale
3. Attract, retain and develop the talent our region needs to compete globally

• Engage and foster collaboration with industry leaders and educators, integrating and building upon existing activities.
• Develop a comprehensive, system of talent development; education and training; and economic development to meet the region’s current and future needs.
• Allow the region to regularly review employment trends, develop necessary training solutions and change course as needed on an ongoing basis, ensuring a “just in time” response to employer needs

How the initiative will do it:

• A comprehensive regional employer survey from ERISS Corporation will provide a rich foundational data base of ongoing and future workforce needs.
• Monster.com’s and ERISS’s unparalleled technology resources will power an online community, tailored to the WIRED65 region, which will:
• Be an ongoing, valuable regional resource to coordinate the needs of employers, job seekers, and education providers.
• Serve as the central tool to carry out talent development and attraction activities
• Foster regional collaboration on an unprecedented scale
• Provide a centralized resource of all education and training opportunities matched against workforce needs
• While this online community is critical for integration and regional collaboration, its complementary components will further prepare job seekers and the region for current and future employment and economic development opportunities to include:
• Entrepreneurial training and mentorship programs (MTTC / IPI)
• High School Outreach Programs (Making It Count)
• Job Fairs (Monster.com)
• Learning Exchange (ERISS)
• Community-based Quality of Place Initiatives (Creative Class)
• Human Capital Institute Southeast Conference
• Comprehensive public education and outreach

What makes the initiative unique:

• Tailored specifically to the Wired65 region
• Encompasses employers, job seekers, education and training providers and complimentary resources
• Provides real time labor market data from the employer survey and Monster’s ongoing labor market analysis and reports
• Focuses across all sectors
• Results in total synchronization of all workforce pipeline activities

Kix.com is a regional web portal that is changing the way our region connects, collaborates and communicates. It is the place to seek opportunity. It helps link job seekers to employment opportunities, employers to the region’s best talent, prospective students to the training and education they need and connects our region in an unprecedented way using state-of-the-art social networking tools.

Who kix.com will benefit:

• Students, Educators, Employers, Job Seekers, Entrepreneurs
• Workforce Boards, Economic Development Agencies, Chambers of Commerce
• People outside of the region who want to find jobs here; out-of-state companies looking for a reliable talent pool; regional natives ready to return home; anyone looking to relocate

What kix.com will do:

• Offer a comprehensive database of employer needs to forecast necessary workforce skills, occupations where educational curriculum or training programs needs to be developed, occupations that will expand or decline, and other data that can guide or redirect talent and funds
• Enable networking and idea-sharing among site users, generate networking opportunities, provide real time feedback and information sharing on an unprecedented scale
• Spark a regionally-focused, comprehensive system of talent development where “just in time” programs of secondary education, training, mentoring, and more will meet needs of employers
• Provide a timely dashboard on regional employment needs, workforce development trends and educational requirements to drive better decisions and more efficient regional spending

How kix.com will do this:

• By leveraging state-of-the-art technology to build a powerful, data-driven regional portal
• By being THE tool for regional talent and economic development effort
• By being THE engine for matching employers, talent, and training
• By being THE source for regional collaboration on an unprecedented scale
• By integrating existing and ongoing programs such as:
• Entrepreneurial training and mentorship programs
• High School Outreach Programs
• Job Fairs
• Job Seekers/Displaced worker Educational/Training
• Community-based Quality of Place Initiatives
• Business Sector Development Initiatives
• Public Awareness Campaigns

Why kix.com is needed:

• To efficiently harness the power of 26 counties and two states
• To provide a comprehensive source of information and data for the engines that drive prosperity
• To help the region become more adaptive to constantly changing labor needs and trends
• To give the region new and powerful advantages in a highly competitive global marketplace
• To develop marketable assets to attract outsiders and to bring back those who moved away

Project: Junior Achievement Career Planning for High School Students
Grantee: Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana
Description: Career planning programs will be delivered to 120 classrooms and 2,400 students in the 26-county area. Students will participate in a locally developed Junior Achievement program, JA Real Jobs, Real World. The program will inform students of career path opportunities, establish links between students and post-secondary education institutions and stress the importance of staying in school.

Project: Fix the Pipeline: Improving High School Transitions
Grantee: Greater Louisville Inc. and Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government
Description: Three components will be implemented to increase the number of students who graduate high school, submit college applications and enroll in college. The components include a “Close the Deal” campaign to create a strong college-going culture by involving elected officials, holding regional workshops to increase college familiarity and implementing a “KnowHow2Go” marketing campaign to promote the tools needed to enhance education transitions.

Project: Building the Regional Food Economy—Phase I Implementation
Grantee: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government, Economic Development Department
Description: This project will fund a Public Interest Broker to serve as a liaison
between regional farmers and Louisville’s food market, such as restaurants, institutions, food distribution companies and emergency feeding organizations. The broker will implement strategies to grow the region’s food economy and educate farmers about marketing and sales opportunities.

Project: School At Work® “Building a Career Ladder in Healthcare”
Grantee: Catalyst Learning Company
Description: Forty adults employed in entry-level jobs at four hospitals in the Wired65 region will participate in School At Work (SAW) from September 2009 to June 2010. SAW has been successfully used by Norton Healthcare and Floyd Memorial since 2005 to advance employees.  By refreshing essential skills and completing individual career plans, SAW helps employees prepare for local colleges and move up the career ladder.

Project: Inspiring Student Entrepreneurs to Spark Business Activity in Their Communities
Grantee: Kentucky Council on Economic Education
Description: A new high school entrepreneurship study designed for career and technical classes will be demonstrated to high schools in 15 counties of the Wired65 region. A teacher/leader will be designated to each county. Students will be pre- and post-tested and participate in a virtual entrepreneurship program.

Project: HIRE Education Forum Regional Internship Program
Grantee: The HIRE Education Forum
Description: This region-wide college internship program will employ college students as interns in an effort to fill workforce shortages and create a talented pool of individuals for future workforce needs. HIRE is a collaborative of 31 accredited colleges and universities spanning the 26-county region.

Project: Innovative Technology and Outreach Program
Grantee: Family Scholar House, Inc.
Description: The Family Scholar House is a residential program that provides support to single-parent students working toward a four-year college degree. Innovative technology and outreach support will maximize the Family Scholar House’s new Academic Services Center. Funding will provide the new center with an outreach coordinator and technology for training.

Project: Invention Convention
Grantee: Western Kentucky Research Foundation, WKU
Description: Invention Fair is a regional event that will showcase the creative ideas and inventions of high school students. Winners of county invention fairs will advance to participate in the 26-county “Invention Fair” in the spring of 2010, with potential feed into an existing college competition, “IdeaU.”

Project: One-Stops as Talent Development Portal
Grantee: WorkOne—The Region 10 Workforce Board, Inc.
Description: The project works to refocus the existing perception of One-Stops as an unemployment office and transition its market brand as a “talent development” portal. Funding would be used toward promoting the new identity to different business and industry sectors and assisting the incumbent workforce in improving their information and computer technology occupations.

Project: Regional Visioning and Leadership Development Campaign
Grantee: Regional Leadership Coalition
Description: This campaign will create a compelling, shared vision of the region’s future that will speak to the community and sustain regional cooperation. It will also look toward regional economic aspirations in the global marketplace and each unique community. County chambers, young professionals, leadership organizations and educational institutions will participate in the campaign.

At the event, applicants shared ideas and expertise and made connections needed to pool resources for future economic development projects in the region. Stay tuned for information on future events such as this one.

In response to the focus on regional economies, the U.S. Department of Labor has provided grants to strengthen regional ties and to fund transformations in workforce development to support regional economies. The WIRED – Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development –initiative is designed to integrate economic and workforce development activities in order to demonstrate the role of talent in the transformation of regional economies.

Wired65

Central Kentucky was awarded one of these grants.  To better reflect economic ties, the initial 15-county region was expanded its focus to include 26 counties – 19 in Kentucky and 7 in Indiana. The region encompasses the Louisville and Elizabethtown metropolitan areas and includes portions of six workforce investment boards.  Indiana currently has two WIRED grants – Central Indiana (Purdue) and Southwest Indiana.

TIP Report: Wired65 Regional Competitiveness Strategy

Developing a regional competitiveness strategy has been the focus and first step in leveraging the $5 million grant. The goal is to provide a blueprint for positioning the region for the development, retention, and recruitment of talent. The work has focused on identifying new opportunities as well as supporting key sectors of the regional economy.

The strategy work used a three-phase process to assess the region’s competitiveness in the marketplace. First, assessments were made on the economic position of the region and, second, the state of its human capital was measured. The third piece includes recommendations for strategies to build on economic prosperity through emphasizing the importance of talent, innovation and quality of place as key ingredients of regional success.  The work was awarded through a competitive bidding process to Austin-based TIP Strategies and Next Generation Consulting based in Madison, Wisconsin.  A regional leadership group participated in the process and continues to oversee Wired65 efforts.

Next Steps

The next step will be to raise awareness of the priorities of talent, innovation and place in the prosperity of regions, to continue regional collaboration, and to invest the Wired65 grant funds in promising practices.

Grants were awarded over the summer of 2009 to partnerships that responded to the goals outlined in the TIP report. Ten catalytic grants were made in a variety of areas. See press release for more information on these grants. (link to catalytic press release)

One quantum grant was made to a partnership between Monster.com and ERISS Corporation to develop a regional web community portal that will reflect the region’s economy and its people, and provide up-to-date, state-of-the-art connection between career pathways and skills, job/education seekers, and employers. It will also host social networks tailored to the region, and serve as a magnet for those seeking opportunities in the 26-county region.  Stay tuned as this quantum initiative takes shape!

Wired65BiddersConferenceAttendees

Added Monday, May 18, 2009, 1:15 PM

Q. Do the budget worksheets or pages required to complete the budget narrative count toward the proposal’s 20-page limit?

A. No, the budget worksheets and narrative do not count toward the 20-page limit.

Added Friday, May 15, 2009, 9:30 AM

Q. Please explain guidelines related to using a Wired grant for marketing or branding.

A.  Wired65 will adhere strictly to H-1B guidelines.

This means that a program receiving a Wired65 grant may use a portion of the grant funds for communications and marketing expenses that promote the funded project to ensure its effectiveness.  However, Wired65 grants may not be used for projects whose primary intent is for “branding” or logo development for any existing program, regional entity or organization.

Q. Should the response to the RFP be submitted in single- or double-space?

A. The proposal may be either single-spaced or double-spaced;
the goal is to provide as clear and concise a response as possible.

Added Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 1:45 PM

Q.What are the rules with regard to equipment purchases for a Wired65 initiative?

A. Be sure to review H-1B guidelines regarding the purchase of equipment.

Equipment is defined for Federal grant purposes in the Uniform Administrative Requirements as tangible property, with a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit cost of $5,000 or more. For the WIRED grants, authorized equipment purchases are limited to equipment that is used for training purposes; not inventory acquisition or equipment needed for general business capitalization or expansion.

Equipment purchases (costing more than $5000 per unit )require prior approval. For example, if the primary project operator wishes to acquire equipment to support the grant activity (for example, a specific type of medical equipment used in laboratory training), then they would request approval from the awarding agency, in this case the state (or the awarding agency in the case of subgrantees). The state grantee will then forward the request to the Grant Officer if they are in agreement and the ETA Grant Officer will either approve or disapprove the request.

Maintenance, use and disposition of the equipment purchased with grant funds must be conducted in accordance with Federal property management standards found in the Uniform Administrative Requirements. Generally, if the remaining fair market value of the item at grant end or at the time of disposition is less than $5000, it may be retained or disposed of by the grantee (state) without any further obligation to the federal awarding agency or the grant. If it has a remaining value of $5000 or more at grant end or at the time of disposition, the grantee (state) must request disposition instructions from the ETA Grant Officer, who can approve a grantee request to retain the equipment or transfer it to another agency for continued use in projects similar to the grant’s purpose, or the Grant Officer can require the grantee to sell the equipment and refund the sale proceeds to the grant.

Added Thursday, May 7, 2009, 2:15 PM

Q.  What is the program to which we’re applying?

A.  Officially, the funds come from the WIRED program provided
to the Commonwealth of Kentucky / Lincoln Trail Area Development
District by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Added Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 11:30 AM
Q. For projects that would fall between the $100,000
and $2.5M ranges for the Catalytic and Quantum Fund
Investments, respectively, is it possible for a single project
to be broken down into a number of component parts, for
which a series of Catalytic Fund Investment applications
could be made?

A.  No. Under the Catalytic Fund, each proposal will be considered
independent of the others. The Quantum Fund could include various
projects that add up to the total available for that fund, but must
demonstrate strong connections that build up to one “quantum” impact.

Q. Can Chambers apply?

A. Yes.

Q. Is Information Technology a sector?

A. Information Technology is discussed in the TIP Report as an
important skill for sectors, so may be included in proposals.

Added Friday, May 1, 2009, 2:15 PM

Special Notice:

Please see additional documents for your use in applying for Wired65 funds.

* Budget Worksheets and Instructions

* Performance Metrics and Indicators examples (you don’t have to use one of these, but you must have a metric than can be reported to track your progress)

Q & A From Wired65 Bidders Forums held April 29 and 30 in Elizabethtown and Louisville.

Q. What is required in the pre-proposal for the Quantum Fund?

A. Only a general description of the idea/goals that will be the core of your proposal. You do not have to show all commitments or details. Because this is a large investment, an early review was included to ensure organizations are moving in a direction that is regional, fits Wired65 goals and complies with H-1B guidelines.  General comments and suggestions will be provided to applicants by 5-18-09 for use in finalizing their proposals.

Q. There is a 20-page limit to proposals. Do we have to include letters of commitment in that number?

A. Clarification:  You may count letters of commitment outside of the 20 pages to ensure you have room to describe your proposal. However, please limit your letters to those from organizations/entities, which offer a significant support for the proposal.  Otherwise, follow the format outlined in the RFP.

Q. There is no mention of a requirement for a funding match.  What level of leveraged funds/support is required?

A.  Funds leverage and sustainability are key priorities and items that will be considered in scoring.  There is no set requirement for how much. The intent, however, is that the Wired65 investments draw significant support from the applying organization and from partners, and that the initiatives funded have the support necessary for successes to be sustained.

Q. Is there a budget format to use?

A.  There was no form included with the RFP, but we will  post the form on the Wired65 Web site as an addendum to the RFP for your use.  See Wired65 RFP Budget Form available under the Request for Proposals section on the Web site early the week of 5/4/09.

Q. How many counties should be included in proposals?

A. There is no set requirement for number of counties involved. The goal is to have a regional vision, and have the potential to make short-term regional impact (Quantum Fund), and offer the opportunity to demonstrate regional impact possibilities (Catalytic Fund). The Quantum Fund should be designed to make the biggest transformational impact for the region as possible. The Catalytic Fund should be responsive to regional needs – as outlined in the TIP Report – but because of the size may have smaller range initially.  We must emphasize that this is not about counties – it is about the transformation of bigger regional economies. Reaching and working beyond boundaries is the key objective of WIRED.

Q. Can we submit more than one proposal?

A.Yes, as long as the proposals are for different projects; please do not submit numerous proposals for the same project.

Q.  A few years ago, H-1B  funding could not be used for certain healthcare positions.   Because WIRED funding must follow H-1B guidelines, is that limit applicable here?

A.  There is not restriction on using H-1B funding for healthcare-related activities.

Q.  Are funds distributed on a reimbursement basis?  How does the reimbursement process work?

A. Yes, the funding is made available to awardees through cost reimbursement. You must submit invoices with supporting documentation of charges, leverage and/or match to Lincoln Trail WIB disclosing your expenditures under the grant, and you will be reimbursed for the costs.

Q.  Does our proposal need to indicate how all of the funds will be spent by June 30, 2010?

A. Yes.  All funds must be obligated (spent and out the door) by June 30, 2010.  Wired65 plans to seek an extension to allow expenditures to happen beyond this deadline, but all proposals should outline how the funds will be spent by June 30, 2010.

Q.  Is sub-granting allowed? For example, if our organization applies to receive funds to establish a regional literacy initiative and we will use a variety of different organizations around the region to deliver services…

A. We would need to know up-front in the project proposal the names of the organizations you are planning to utilize and costs associated with the subcontracts.

Q. Will Wired65 staff review proposals and encourage those with similar projects/ideas to partner and reapply together?

A. Yes, especially at the Quantum pre-proposal stage, but if staff sees opportunities for partnering of Catalytic Fund proposals then staff may encourage those partnerships as well.

Q. Will you distribute a list of people who have attended the bidders’ conference so people can partner?  Maybe list the name of the organization and the individual who attended and see if there’s a way for people who visit the website and also want to express interest in partnering that we can provide their name and organization as well?

A. Yes, we will post a list of names and organizations. If you do not see your name on this list, please email and we’ll add your name to the list (dwesslund@ltadd.org).

Q.  May individuals, especially if they are not a representative of a 501 c3 or have another legal organization, e.g. LLC, submit proposals or must individuals partner with established organizations?

A. We will look into this and post a response on the Web site.

Q.  Are there any restrictions on the percentage of the grant that may be paid to salaries?

A. There are no administrative cost restrictions on Wired fund expenditures, but as noted at the meeting H-1B restrictions limit daily consultant rates.

Q.  Are there any restrictions on supplanting with Wired65 funds?

A.  Wired65 funds will not be used for supplanting any funds. The purpose of WIRED is to develop new ideas, thoughts, processes, etc.

Q.  I plan to submit a proposal for a project that affects only one school district but may be replicable elsewhere.  Is this allowed?

A.  Yes, but that would not be necessarily appropriate for the Quantum Fund.

Q. If my organization already has a grant from the Department of Labor are there any restrictions on our organization receiving Wired65 funds?

A. No.

Q. The “Fix the Pipeline” focus outlined in the TIP report refers to “smoothing transition points in the P-20 education system,” yet Wired funds are not able to be spent on youth under the age of 16.

A. The TIP report lays the groundwork for regional priorities for many years to come.  Unfortunately, not all of the TIP recommendations can be funded with Wired funds.  Proposals should not target populations below age 16.

Q. Do H-1B funding restrictions also apply to any match funds that a proposing organization may have? For example, if a Wired65 proposal uses match funds to purchase equipment, would this equipment purchase have to abide by H-1B restrictions on equipment expenditures?

A.  It is appropriate for entities to use leverage funds to pay for items that are key to the project’s success, but are outside the allowable costs under WIRED.

Q. Are there any restrictions, similar to restrictions imposed by WIA such as income limitations, on clientele who may be served?

A. Wired staff will post a comment on this within a few days.  Staff is checking with the Department of Labor.

Q.  Are there any restrictions or guidelines on how a program is sustained after the Wired grant expires?

A. No, but you must explain in detail how you plan to sustain it.

Q.  Are individuals/organizations awarded Wired65 funds expected to attend in-person meetings at the Lincoln Trail Area Development District offices in Elizabethtown? If so, should we work this into our proposed travel budget?

A. Yes, you may want to allocate a small amount of money for these trips.  Wired65 staff will work with awardees at the contract stage to agree upon key meetings and/or presentations that will be necessary during the contract period.

Q. Are there any expectations about the range of Catalytic fund awards?  For example, any expectation of how many may be closer to the $5000 level than the $100,000 level?

A. No expectation of how the Catalytic fund disbursements will be made at this time.

Q. Will the selection committee make adjustments to amounts requested by proposers?

A. The committee reserves the right to suggest a reduced grant for proposed projects (and proposers have the right to reject that offer) or to suggest that applicants with similar projects partner and/or work together.

Q. Is there an opportunity to present proposals to the selection committee in person?

A.  None at this time, but the committee may request to see one or more proposals presented in person.

Q.  Do H-1B restrictions apply to both Quantum and Catalytic fund projects?

A.  H-1B restrictions apply to all Wired65 funding. Be sure to review the H-1B document provided on the Wired65 Web site.

Q. Once funds are awarded, how do we track progress?

A.  As described in the RFP, applicants should identify in their applications metrics that apply to their project and describe the process they will use to measure progress.  These projects will be monitored regularly during the grant year to review progress and ensure financial compliance. There are no set required metrics. However, we have included a document that has some metrics that have been used by other WIRED regions. If your project does include employment training, you must use the WIA common measures for reporting.

Rapid Regional Response Meetings

Request a Presentation for your group:

If your business, professional group, or organization would like to have a presentation on this report and discuss the findings, please contact Debbie Wesslund by leaving a comment to this post.

You can use the link here to view the Regional Analysis. If you have any comments or feedback please post your comment here.

This work will lay the foundation for Wired65 priorities and investments, and will provide a playbook for continued regional cooperation toward supporting a 21^st Century Economy.

A key ingredient in developing a long-term regional strategy is participation from people throughout the area. Success in being a competitive region will hinge on the “buy in” and response of regional leaders.

To that end, we have posted the PowerPoint presentation and ask for your feedback. Let us know what you think about our challenges and recommendations for priorities for action. We’ll keep you up to date on opportunities for regional involvement.

Thank you very much.