The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration awarded $27.9 million in cooperative agreements to establish eight economic development Communities of Practice.
Each community will bring together thematically related groups of economic development practitioners to create economic ecosystems conducive to the creation of quality jobs for American workers, according to a March 28 news release. The Communities of Practice build on the EDA's decades of experience working directly with communities to help build the capacity for economic development.
“Local economic development practitioners are critical to making sure workers and entrepreneurs have the tools and skills they need to succeed in every community, especially those that have too often been left out and left behind," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the release. "As part of President Biden’s commitment to investing in workers, these awards will support our nation’s economic development practitioners, helping to grow local economies and bolster communities across the country.”
According to the release, the Biden-Harris administration's industrial strategy to drive U.S. competitiveness, innovation, equity and resilience through economic development activities to bolster local economies is central to these investments. Slated activities include tailored technical assistance, strategic networking and topical programming opportunities to help identify, amplify and scale best practices in economic development. These efforts will enable the EDA to meet the needs of economic development organizations with a responsiveness and scale not yet seen.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo said the EDA is excited to make these groundbreaking investments in the future of economic development, the release reported.
“These EDA grants represent a bold, new approach to the development of formal structures that facilitate the creation, dissemination and preservation of critical place-based economic expertise and best practices,” Castillo said in the release.
The eight communities will focus on capacity building, workforce development, strong regional economies, commercialization and entrepreneurship, energy transition, small business support, support for indigenous communities and industrial competitiveness, the release said.
