Federal workforce development grant being sought for Union County
Justin Strawser, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
5 min read
Sep. 25—LEWISBURG — Advance Central PA is seeking a highly competitive federal grant for workforce development in Union County.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration's Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program will invest $200 million in persistently distressed communities to create and connect people to good jobs. Applications for the program are due by Oct. 5 with the announcement of winners expected by December.
"For Union, this would set us up for long-term future success and growth toward a strong workforce and make us an economically advanced community," said Erica Mulberger, executive director of the Lewisburg-based Advance Central PA. "It will help resolve the child-care desert that exists in Union County. Families aren't having children because affordable child care is hard to come by. If we receive this grant, it will bring longetivity in the workforce and businesses in Union County."
Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation, Advance Central PA, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designated as the local workforce development board. The Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board governs the workforce development system for the Central Workforce Development Area consisting of Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties.
Advance Central PA oversees programs that are designed to assure that businesses in Central Pennsylvania remain competitive and grow jobs, that workers have opportunities to obtain skills that will help them become or remain self-sufficient, and that our communities are economically resilient.
Two Valley counties eligible
The Economic Development Administration describes the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program as being for "renewed economic opportunity in communities that have for too long been forgotten." The program targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment significantly trails the national average, with the goal to close this gap through large, flexible investments. As part of a place-based economic development approach, the Recompete Pilot Program aims to meet communities where they are by offering grant opportunities that ensure sustainable and equitable economic growth across the United States, according to the administration.
Both Union and Northumberland counties are eligible to apply for the funding, but Advance Central PA is only seeking for Union County based on guidance that the EDA is looking for smaller communities to show a bigger impact, said Mulberger.
Mulberger theorized that the U.S. Penitentiaries in Lewisburg and Allenwood and two Federal Correctional Institutions in Allenwood contribute to Union County's eligibility.
Lewisburg in Union County and Sunbury in Northumberland County are considered Micropolitan Statistical Areas. Union County has a population of 43,094 and Northumberland County has a population of 91,853, according to the administration.
Lewisburg in Union County has a prime age population of 16,062 and a prime age employed population of 9,202. It has a prime age employment rate of 57.29 and a prime age employment rate gap of 21.10.
Sunbury in Northumberland County has a prime age population of 33,801 and a prime age employed population of 25,054. It has a prime age employment rate of 74.12 and a prime age employment rate gap of 4.27.
"We're hoping to coordinate resources in Union County to get the prime age population back to work by identifying what's keeping them out of the workforce and see what barriers are holding them back," said Mulberger. "Whether that's housing, lack of training, lack of child care or other reasons."
Nathan Savidge, the chief clerk in Northumberland County, said the county has not applied for the grant funding as of Monday.
Grant in phases
The first phase invites applicants to apply for Strategy Development Grants and approval of a recompete plan. Applicants who receive approval for a Recompete Plan in phase one will be invited to apply to phase two. In the second phase, investments can support a wide range of implementation activities across workforce development, business and entrepreneur development, infrastructure, and additional planning, predevelopment, or technical assistance, according to the federal agency.
First phase grants are between $250,000 and $500,000, said Mulberger.
The administration anticipates awarding approximately $6 million to $12 million in total for Strategy Development Grants and approving at least 20 Recompete Plans at the conclusion of Phase One. In Phase Two, applicants can apply for larger awards for implementation. The administration said it expects to make approximately four to eight implementation investments, with awarded regions receiving between $20 million and $50 million on average.
The Recompete Pilot Program was enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program). Congress appropriated $200 million of the $1 billion authorized for the program as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, according to the administration.
Letters of supports
Mulberger said many organizations have been involved in the conventions surrounding this grant and providing letters of support, including the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, Lewisburg Borough Council, Union County commissioners, Union-Snyder Community Action Agency, Evangelical Community Hospital, The Miller Center, the Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA, SEDA-Council of Governments and the Union-Snyder Area Agency on Aging.
Lewisburg Mayor Kendy Alvarez intends to draft a letter of support for the application.
"This is a very interesting grant that focuses on the workforce but allows for wraparound funding," said Alvarez. "That means you can address housing, child care, health care, reentry, mental health, education and training programs. There are things you can do with this grant that are unheard of for a workforce-focused grant."
It's a "big federal" grant that Alvarez said she is excited about.
