DAVIS SAYS GRANT TO REGION WILL SPUR GREATER COOPERATION AND GROWTH January 19, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a major grant for regional workforce development in Southern Tennessee and North Alabama said U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis. With the initial award of $500,000, the region will have six months to complete a blueprint of its plans for economic growth to become eligible for $4.5 million during the next three years.

The region is one of 13 areas in the country to receive a grant as part of the Department’s second generation of the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative. The WIRED initiative is an effort to integrate economic and workforce development activities and demonstrate that talent development can drive economic transformation in regional economies across the United States.

"The Labor Department saw fit to invest in our region due to the accessibility of major research, military, automotive, and agriculture industries in the area,” Davis said. “North Alabama’s Representative, Bud Cramer, and I recognized the strength of pooling our regional resources to appeal to new employers. Last year, Bud and I began nurturing a regional federal partnership among local officials to strategize how best to bring new economic opportunities to the area. The announcement of this grant will give us a great foundation to build upon."

The Nine Tennessee counties included in the region are Franklin, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Maury, and Wayne. The North Alabama area includes Blount, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston.

The grant will be administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Calhoun Community College, Decatur, Alabama will be spearheading the project.