WIRED Grants

A vast region of Minnesota known as a hub for renewable energy industries is building on its strengths thanks to a $5 million Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development(WIRED) grant through the U.S. Department of Labor.

The ‘Renewable Energy Marketplace – Alliance for Talent Development’ (MNREM) is an industry-led consortium of economic development, workforce development, education and workforce leaders.

It provides the framework and commitment to transform the 36-county region of South Central, Southwest, and West Central Minnesota from an agriculture-based regional economy to a knowledge and innovation-based economy that capitalizes on the region’s strength in agriculture and renewable energy.

Select this link to view a map that shows the region benefitting from the WIRED grant.

Target industries include renewable energy and value-added agriculture, agriculture-related bioscience, and supporting industries -- as they support renewable energy.

The overarching goal of the Renewable Energy Marketplace is to achieve long-term sustainable economic vitality and compete in a global economy through the retention, creation, and attraction of an educated and skilled workforce.

Specific strategies include:

Providing a diverse, skilled workforce for the renewable energy industry to strengthen the Marketplace region's competitiveness in the global economy
Improving recruitment, retention, and credentialing of talent by aligning and enhancing education and training resources
Establishing a regional leadership framework to define and support a regional agenda, evaluate its success, and preside over a meaningful change mechanism
Advising on public policy to support the renewable energy industry cluster, driving the region to provide solutions for energy production and other value-added products
Developing a regional culture that supports and attracts new firms and new ideas that can create new products for the emerging renewable energy/bioscience industries and supporting industry sectors
Building on the opportunity to drive research and development and create additional products that use agricultural inputs and entrepreneurship

Download the following files to view a detailed breakdown of Minnesota's application for the WIRED grant.

Cover

Table of Contents

Application for Federal Assistance (forms SF424 and SF424A)