SunTrip

To: TECHNOLOGY EDITORS

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

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

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor

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