SSTI Digest

Around the world, increased attention is being paid to inclusive economic growth, which, according to the World Bank, suggests that for growth to be sustainable in the long run it should be broad-based across sectors and inclusive of the large part of the country’s labor force, regardless of demographics. Encouraging this type of growth oftentimes requires political, social, and systematic change, though action is already being taken in both the United States and abroad. The United States ranks as a leader among advanced economies in inclusive asset building and entrepreneurship, although it lags in employment and labor compensation, according to a recent report on inclusive growth and development by the World Economic Forum.

Applicants for the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) FY 2016 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) will notice some changes to the application process when the FFO is released in the coming weeks. The standard ED-900 form has been replaced with a selection of shorter forms that can be mixed and matched to fit the needs of different solicitations. Also, a short proposal form can be submitted to ascertain whether a project is responsive to the FFO, instead of having to complete a full application. EDA is planning several webinars to provide more guidance once the FFO is released. Read the announcement at: http://www.eda.gov/news/blogs/2015/09/01/highlight.htm.

In a fact sheet released ahead of President Obama’s visit to Macomb Community College in Warren, MI, this week the Obama administration announced new steps to expand apprenticeships and continue other efforts around workforce development and free community college. Notable initiatives announced include: $175 million grants to provide apprenticeship opportunities to 34,000 individuals; the launch of Heads Up America, an independent campaign to raise awareness about the importance of community colleges; and, the creation of the College Promise Advisory Board to further the administration’s efforts to make two years of community college free to responsible students.

Using data to track recent graduates in the workforce helps ensure postsecondary education institutions are preparing graduates for successful careers, according to a report recently released by the National Governors Association (NGA) – Tracking Graduates into the Workforce: Connecting Education and Labor Market Data. In this report, NGA contends that accurate, real-time information is a key element of functional labor markets. The NGA report starts with a discussion about the importance of connecting postsecondary education and training programs with labor market data to spur job creation, address the needs of industry, and stimulate economic prosperity. Through the report, NGA highlights new practices in Florida, Kentucky, and a multistate collaboration (between Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) that NGA authors believe are promising strategies to better connecting postsecondary and training programs with the needs of industry.

Oregon announced an agreement with the four regional economic development organizations to improve business development coordination, help existing Oregon businesses expand, recruit new companies, and align other economic developments efforts to grow Oregon's economy and job creation. To achieve the goals of the program, the partners will share office space, hold regular planning meetings, and develop ongoing communications through shared software tools. Business Oregon will provide $100,000 ($25,000 per regional economic development organization) during the next two years to help offset expenses related to the increased cooperation. The pilot program will serve 11 counties, 127 cities, and about two-thirds of the state's population. Read the announcement…

As part of Nevada’s efforts to better prepare its workers to compete in the state’s technology industries, Gov. Brian Sandoval announced the reestablishment of the state’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology, naming Brian Mitchell its program director. The office, which Sandoval says is inspired by the workforce development programs he saw in Germany during his recent European trade mission, will coordinate efforts between K-12 schools and universities to improve STEM education and ensure that the state’s workforce meets industry needs.

An August 2015 report prepared by an independent consulting firm for the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities (APLU) seeks to answer the question: How Did Revenue and Spending per Student Change at Four-Year Colleges and Universities Between 2006-07 and 2012-13? During the six-year period analyzed, four-year public universities experienced a net loss of $430 per full-time student, as  funding cuts amounted to $2,370 per student after adjusting for inflation, while tuition and fee revenues increased by only $1,940 per student. Despite this net loss, four-year public universities increased educational and related expenditures by $528 per full-time student.

A new Virginia council will coordinate the state’s efforts to help young people create businesses. Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently signed Executive Order 47 establishing the Governor’s Council on Youth Entrepreneurship, following up on a series of roundtables with students and faculty. The council will issue recommendations later this year on how to give students more rights over their research and intellectual property, promote collaborative spaces for entrepreneurs and students to meet, integrate entrepreneurship into university curriculum, identify ways to award students academic credit for starting a business and remove cost barriers to student entrepreneurship. Read the announcement at: https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=12468.

Tennessee leaders hope to raise $10 million in public and private funding over the next five years to support an effort to attract 200 agricultural technology entrepreneurs and establish 100 ag-tech businesses by 2020. USDA Rural Development and the Tennessee Department of Agricultural recently announced they would seed that effort by contributing $220,000 to AgLaunch, a program to aid early-stage ag-tech companies. Memphis Bioworks Foundation will lead the initiatives, providing mentoring and programming opportunities for entrepreneurs. The program will begin in 2016.

A new report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) proposes new categories for IT research investment in the coming years. Federally-funded IT research is currently grouped in eight categories introduced in 1995 for the purposes of budgeting and tracking. PCAST is recommending an overhaul of these categories to reflect the contemporary IT landscape. Other recommendations focus on continued investment in cybersecurity, Big Data, health IT and other hot topics. However, PCAST also advocates stronger federal support for education and workforce training with on-ramps for underserved communities.

For many states, broadband connectivity is becoming an increasingly important tool used to improve the economic well-being of residents, especially in rural areas. While some have paved the way for publicly funded municipal broadband providers, others, such as North Carolina and Tennessee, have filed suit with the Federal Communications Commission and joined the telecommunications industry in their opposition. Over the course of the summer, several states announced their own measures to improve broadband adoption as a means to support economic development and improve the quality of life in rural areas.

Recently announced programs in the St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul regions offer startups and major corporations new chances to connect and work together. Pioneered by Illinois’ Corporate Startup Challenge, these types of programs seek to build bridges between important components of the innovation ecosystem: revolutionary new products and services and established market leaders.