CDC Confirms First Case of Ebola Diagnosed in the U.S.

(White House)

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the Oval Office, Sept. 30, 2014. Dr. Frieden updated the President on the recently-diagnosed Ebola case in Dallas, Texas.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the confirmation of the first Ebola case in the United States in a person who traveled from West Africa.
In a press conference, CDC Director Tom Frieden said that the virus was diagnosed in someone traveling from Liberia. Although the person had no symptoms when leaving Liberia, or when entering the United States, he started to present symptoms four to five days following his travel. The patient was admitted and placed in isolation on Sunday, September 28.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

President Obama Meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

(White House)
Watch on YouTube
This morning, President Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the first bilateral summit between the two heads of state.
"It is an extraordinary pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Modi to the White House for the first time," President Obama said in remarks after their meeting. The President recognized the Prime Minister s historic victory in the Indian general election earlier this year, and the two leaders discussed the broad partnership that exists between the United States and India:
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

President Obama Announces the My Brothers Keeper Community Challenge

(White House) In February of this year, President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to ensure that all youth, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to improve their life outcomes and overcome barriers to success. The initiative aims to bring together government, law enforcement, business, non-profit, philanthropic, faith, and community leaders around shared goals for young people in this country.
And now, the Administration is taking this effort local, by engaging Mayors, tribal leaders, and county executives who are stepping up to lead in their communities. In a speech this past Saturday at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) awards dinner, President Obama announced the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge, which will encourage communities (cities, counties, suburbs, rural municipalities, and tribal nations) to implement coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategies aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people, consistent with the goals and recommendations of the White House’s MBK Task Force’s May, 2014 report. Rather than build a new federal program, or provide a top-down solution to problems that are often unique to local neighborhoods, the President has called upon local leaders, and sought to provide them the support and momentum they need, to design and implement strategies that are proven to work to address a set of challenges that are too often taken on in silos.
There is already incredible work being done by elected and community leaders around the country. This MBK Community Challenge is about harnessing that energy, expanding upon it, and operationalizing plans of action to functionally channel it at the local level.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

Dan Pfeiffer: "That s How We Roll"

(White House) Earlier today, White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer sent this message to the White House email list previewing President Obama s week ahead. Didn t get it Make sure you sign up for email updates here.

Hey,
Last week at the United Nations, President Obama laid out a forceful case that in an uncertain world, American strength and leadership is the one constant.
The United States is leading an international coalition in the fight to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine, and to contain and combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
As the President said on Sunday night: That s how we roll.
This Thursday, speaking to Northwestern University s Kellogg School of Management, the President will make the case for what has always fueled America s leadership -- and that s America s economic greatness. He ll take a step back from the rush of current events to explain what we ve done to recover from the Great Recession and what we need to do to ensure that more middle-class Americans feel that progress in their own lives.
Make sure you re watching. RSVP to watch the speech here -- and we ll email you on Thursday morning with an exclusive set of materials so you have the facts before the President speaks.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

The President s Statement on Today s Treasury Department Action on Inversions

(White House) Today, the Treasury Department announced that it s taking action to reduce the tax benefits of -- and, where possible, stop -- corporate tax inversions from happening.
What s an inversion again In short, it s a type of corporate tax deal wherein a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries moves the tax residence of the parent company overseas -- moving into a low-tax jurisdiction to avoid paying U.S. taxes. (Want more details We break it down pretty thoroughly in this post.)

The President issued the following statement today about the Treasury s action.
read moreSource: www.whitehouse.gov

NYPL Ask the Author: Mark Strand

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When and where do you like to read

I read when I am waiting in airports or doctors offices, sometimes on the plane or on the train, but most often when I am seated in a comfortable chair late in the afternoon or early in the evening.

What were your favorite books as a child

I didn t read as a child, my mother read poems to me. When I began reading I was a teenager and I read Hemingway, Faulkner, Dos Passos, and others. I also read poetry.

What books had the greatest impact on you

The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens. Moby Dick. Great Expectations.

Would you like to name a few writers out there you think deserve greater readership

Edwin Muir. Javier Marias. James Merrill. Tommaso Landolfi. Jonathan Coe. Deborah Eisenberg.

What was the last book you recommended

Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me by Javier Marias.

What do you plan to read next

Hester Among the Ruins by Binnie Kirshenbaum and Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louise Gluck.
Source: www.nypl.org

Five Helpful Titles for Selecting a College

(NY Public Library)

A new school year has begun and many young people are starting their senior year of high school. The high school seniors and juniors are starting college applications. It is beneficial to start planning early for college.

Selecting a college can be a difficult process. There many choices and many questions one must ask to find the place that is right for you. For example, do you want to live on campus Do you want to move to another state Do you want to commute to college Do you want to study abroad What do you want to mayor in Do you qualify for financial aid Do you want to take out loans

An education is very important. While at college you learn a lot about yourself and have the opportunity to refine your life and career goals.

A few titles that can be helpful through the search are: Teens Guide to College & Career Planning, Seventeen s Guide to Getting Into College, Book of Majors and College Handbook.

Lastly, while in college a great title to read is The Naked Roommate by Harlan Cohen. The book details 107 issues that a student might encounter in college, The title deals with everything from roommates, Greek life, relationships, alcohol and friendships, just to name a few.

Find more directories and guidebooks in the catalog.
Source: www.nypl.org

Children's Literary Salon in Retrospect: Marc Aronson on September 6, 2014

(NY Public Library) I saw Marc Aronson on a panel at a School Library Journal Day of Dialog a few years ago, and I was intrigued by his ideas about juvenile nonfiction. So, of course, I was thrilled when I learned that he would be featured at a kid lit salon. Aronson has a Ph.D. in American History, and he has been working with children s books for the last 15 years. He teaches library science courses at Rutgers University, including a course on nonfiction. He currently has three books in the works, in various stages of production.

The program was hosted at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building by Betsy Bird, Youth Materials Specialist at NYPL.

Why Read Nonfiction

Aronson began the afternoon with a Power Point presentation. He wondered why we call fiction "unreal books," and why we define nonfiction by what it is not. Another term for nonfiction is equally unappealing: "informational text" sounds very bland. A work of nonfiction, The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon, won the very first Newbery Award in 1922. Nonfiction books won Newberys until 1988; the winner that year was Lincoln: a Photobiography by Russell Freedman. Since then, fiction has ruled the roost. This is unfortunate, since there are some intriguing nonfiction narratives out there that are written from varying points of view.

With the advent of the Common Core in 2010, teachers are in the process of not teaching answers because the answers are changing. We are teaching young people how to think dynamically in motion. Students insist on Googling their paper topics and click on the first result, but only because that is the fastest and easiest method of information retrieval. This is not necessarily the highest quality information; there is a plethora of information sources from which they could choose, had they the inclination. It is important to choose accurate nonfiction sources since some nonfiction has factual errors. Experts in the field authored many of these books, and students can benefit from that. According to Aronson, MFA programs should work harder to teach writing nonfiction as a craft, not as a dry exercise. Narrative books are more interesting to kids than textbooks. However, if the authors do not conduct their research properly, their nonfiction books can contain factual errors.

Currently, teachers allow students to debate whether Pluto exists when it is taught in school. The kids are asked to consider the evidence. This teaches kids about the process of critical thinking. Sometimes, people ask Aronson the following questions about books: Is it good for reports and What age is it taught at Students sometimes simply search for the "correct" answer, but in doing so, they deprive themselves of more generative intellectual activity. Aronson strives to enable students to discuss topics of interest, not simply pigeonhole books for specific school tasks. He also thinks it is helpful to explain to students that adults are not experts on every subject. Sometimes people simply do not know the answer to a question, and it is best to refer young people to other, more knowledgeable sources.

At this point, the audience began asking questions.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

The first audience member was a teacher, and she pointed out that kids read fiction at a higher level than nonfiction. She opined that kids are not taught how to synthesize the info in nonfiction texts, yet they are asked to recount the plots of fiction books.

Aronson replied that American society equates reading with fiction. However, nonfiction has certain elements that make a more definable structure. For example, there are indices, tables of contents and captions in nonfiction works, which makes them easier to decode, in a sense. Also, works of nonfiction by a single author are more difficult to find. Fiction is shelved by author s last name, while nonfiction is classified by subject area. This is probably because fiction readers are specifically looking for similar works by authors that they enjoy, not researching a single subject area in depth.

A high school English teacher asked if Aronson has a solution to the dearth of nonfiction texts in the classroom.

Aronson answered that interdisciplinary instruction is useful and valuable to kids.

(I was a student in the honors program at my undergraduate college. I loved it because all of the classes were team taught by two professors in different fields in the humanities... e.g. sociology and religion. The class had the same people for four years, and the program culminated in a undergraduate senior thesis.)

Bird commented that Aronson mentioned how people teach nonfiction to kids. She dislikes fake dialog that is interspersed in some works of nonfiction, and also when books lack source notes.

Aronson agrees that dialog does not belong in nonfiction books, though it works in historical fiction.

Bird mentioned the plethora of new nonfiction books about what famous people were like as kids.

Nonfiction From the Experts

Aronson declared that sometimes adults think that kids will not like nonfiction. The result can be somewhat patronizing. It is important to come up with fresh and new ideas in order to intrigue kids about life. Kids need to learn about the world and the collective knowledge that our society has created. Nonfiction authors should assume that kids have other sources of information that emanate from different voices and points of view. No one book can possibly say everything that there is to know about any subject area. Every author is a distinct individual with a unique viewpoint and life experiences. Teachers and writers should see young people as detectives and creators of knowledge.

Aronson thinks that sidebars are overused, and they can be detrimental to nonfiction. They are sometimes poorly designed and can be used as a crutch for poor writing. Some publishers are entranced with the Internet. They try to make books look like the Internet, despite the fact that print and digital books have different elements. There has been much speculation about a possible future "Gutenberg moment" in which print books will be discarded in favor of digital texts. However, this has not happened yet, and it will probably not happen.

An audience member mentioned that hyperlinks in texts can distract kids from the content. There was a study done in which kids read digital text with hyperlinks and text without hyperlinks. The kids retained the info without the hyperlinks better.

Aronson mentioned that everyone reads differently. Adults need to explain to kids that we do not know everything and point them to the experts in the relevant field of knowledge. We should not dispense vague and incomplete ideas that masquerade as proper information. It is good to admit to people that we do not know everything. This will cause kids to make great discoveries!

An audience member pointed out that librarians and teachers view fiction and nonfiction differently. As a teacher, he sees 75% fiction and 25% nonfiction in the classroom. He surmises that it should be more equal. Librarians tell him that they cannot get kids to read nonfiction. (This is not my personal experience. I see kids reading fiction and nonfiction.) He does not have a problem promoting nonfiction books.

Aronson pointed out that kids vary and textbooks are teaching tools with particular points of view that are written by different people.

Upcoming Children s Literary Salon
Native Fiction and the Editorial Process
Saturday, October 4 at 2 p. m.
South Court, Schwarzman Building

Marc Aronson s books
Marc Aronson s web site
Consider the Source (School Library Journal Column)
Mental Floss
The Uncommon Corps

Source: www.nypl.org

Musical of the Month: Fiddler on the Roof

(NY Public Library)

In the following blog post, Columbia University s Alisa Solomon examines three typescripts of Fiddler on the Roof that can be studied at the Library for the Performing Arts. Solomon s excellent book, Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof, is available to borrow both as an ebook and in print from New York Public Library.

“Move! March you foolish animal!” If that had been the first line of the musical by Joe Stein, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick that opened on September 22, 1964, we probably wouldn’t be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof this month nor looking forward to a new Broadway revival in 2015, along with countless regional, school, and community productions around the world continuing for many more years to come.

But that was, indeed, the start of Stein’s first stab at adapting Sholem-Aleichem’s Yiddish short stories about Tevye the Dairyman for the Broadway stage: a folksy monologue in which Tevye tells the audience about his life, his family, and his “stubborn animal.” Reading through this draft would be a heartening exercise for any aspiring playwright—or writer of any kind—as one can see a master of the form struggling to find dramatic action and a thematic center in this initial pass. Thanks to the NYPL’s holdings—papers of these three authors along with those of producer Hal Prince, designers Boris Aronson and Patricia Zipprodt, star Zero Mostel, and the voluminous archive of director/choreographer Jerome—one can trace the development of the show from a variety of standpoints. I spent a couple of happy years camped out in Special Collections doing just that. The three scripts digitized here show the primary shifts in the show’s contours as it made its three-year journey to the stage.

The source material—nine stories Sholem-Aleichem wrote between 1894 and 1915—presented some tough challenges. Which of romances of the five daughters should Bock, Harnick, and Stein focus on (They chose three, leaving aside the one about Shprintze, who drowns herself when her rich suitor is torn away from her by his family, and the one about Bielke, who marries the boor her father encouraged and was miserable.) How could they capture the tragic upheaval in Tevye’s world and still satisfy the upbeat demands of the Broadway musical form (A key solution was bringing Tevye and his family to America at the end of the show, instead of leaving him wandering, widowed, bereft, and confused, as Sholem-Aleichem did.) Trickiest of all, how would Stein translate the layered irony in the original prose—the drama that lies in the way Tevye recounts his experiences rather than in those experiences themselves

Bock, Harnick, and Stein had taken up the project out of a desire to work together. They’d enjoyed their collaboration on The Body Beautiful, even though the 1958 boxing musical about an upper-class gentleman with a fierce uppercut, had run only some seven weeks. A year later, the music-and-lyrics duo was riding high on the enormous success of Fiorello!. They were ready to develop their own show rather than be hired on by a producer with a property already in hand, as they’d done up to that point. A friend had sent Harnick a copy of Sholem-Aleichem’s picaresque novel, Wandering Stars, which follows the paths of two young lovers, separated when they run away from their shtetl to pursue the stage, one becoming a heartthrob star of the Yiddish theater, the other a diva in European opera houses, eventually coming to America. Stein saw right away that its dozens of characters, double plot line, and numerous locations made it too unwieldy to adapt into a musical. But reading it reminded him of the Sholem-Aleichem stories his Yiddish-speaking father had loved to read. The team turned to Tevye.

They met through the summer of 1961 to draw up an outline and to share ideas from their background reading. A gem of a find in Bock’s papers—a palm-sized calendar book with the dates printed in French—notes in the composer’s looped ballpoint scrawl that on August 15, “Joe is starting book.” Just a couple of months later, Stein delivered the October 17, 1961 draft, titled “The Old Country”—the same name as the volume of Sholem-Aleichem stories translated by Frances and Julius Butwin that the trio had been working from. The script is full of surprises: material later discarded, like the wedding of Hodel and Perchik, and a lengthy scene featuring “a letter from America” (around which Bock and Harnick wrote a song). It also presents first takes on some core elements that resolutely stayed in: Yente’s nattering news of a match for Tzeitel, the book-lending courtship between Fyedka and Chava (here called Leah), the first-act curtain-closing pogrom.

On October 27, Bock notes: “I brought to Joe a written critique of the book thus far as felt by Shel & I plus a newly organized outline for the show—He will digest it and meet with us . . .”

That critique bit hard. Bock and Harnick complained of the draft’s “pure, unadulterated exposition” and decried how it missed organic comic opportunities that grew out of the action and, instead, gave one-liners to the daughters that “don’t begin to reveal them as people.”

Stein went back to his typewriter. Two-and-a-half months later, he handed over a new draft, now called “Tevye,” that was both more tender and more robust. And now it had an Act Two.

Meanwhile, Bock and Harnick were writing the score. By January 1962, they had already generated what would become some of the iconic tunes of the Broadway stage: “To Life,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and “Sabbath Prayer,” among others. And for every one of those songs that lasted, they wrote at least two more that were jettisoned along the way. In this draft, the most significant was the new opening number, “We’ve Never Missed a Sabbath Yet,” in which Golde and her daughters race to finish their chores before sundown. The concept and even some of the lyrics reflect the research the authors had been doing: it alludes to Sabbath preparation descriptions in the (problematic) 1952 ethnography of the shtetl, Life is with People. And Stein’s script bears marks of Maurice Samuel’s strange 1943 literary hodgepodge, The World of Sholem Aleichem.

The new draft now had a long scene, drawn directly from the Sholem-Aleichem stories, in which Tevye searches for Chava at the home of the local priest, and then melts down in the forest, wondering (in song) why God created both Gentiles and Jews. (This episode stayed in the show through performances in the first try-out city, Detroit; in the lengthy, expressionistic extravaganza, which included a forest ballet, Zero Mostel, as Tevye, wrung himself out before the audience’s eyes.) The January script also added the simple, emotional scene in which Tevye sits at the train station with Hodel as she is about to depart for Siberia. (I get choked up just reading it.)

By now, Bock, Harnick and Stein were searching hard for a producer and, as followers of Fiddler lore well know, many the team approached turned the project down, concerned it was was “too Jewish.” Most significant was the initial reaction of Hal Prince, who wrote to Bock after reading the script, saying he found it “so languid.” He urged the authors to ask Jerry Robbins to direct. Robbins, he insisted, could find the metaphor that would raise “Tevye” from “an ethnic folk tale” to “larger things.”

It took a while, but Robbins eventually signed on—and as a result, so did Prince.

The performance script—the last document linked here—shows the brilliant result of the collaboration, though not the grueling labor through which it was achieved: frequent script meetings in the winter and spring of 1964, demanding rehearsals in New York and exhausting tryouts in Detroit and Washington, DC that summer, where tempers flared, scenes condensed, songs came and went, actors broke down and rose up. By the triumphant opening in September, the show Robbins insisted was “not a ‘musical’” in any conventional sense and “must not be thought of as ‘Bway,’” featured an opening number that set up a profound dramatic theme that would shape the unfolding action of the show, “Tradition.” And the marquee at the Imperial Theater bore an indelible title, Fiddler on the Roof.

Sounds crazy, no

A note on the text(s):

All of the archival images below are made available through the kind permission of the rights holders for research use only. You may not repost or otherwise publish the images below without permission from the rights holders. If you are interested in staging a production of Fiddler on the Roof, please contact Music Theatre International.

Draft 1961: Jerry Bock Collection JPB 02-10 Box 21: Folder 1

Draft 1962: Jerry Bock Collection JPB 02-10 Box 21: Folder 1

Opening Night Libretto: Zero and Kate Mostel Papers: 1915-1986 *T-MSS-1993-007 Box 11: Folder 4
Source: www.nypl.org

Discover Global Markets: China - U.S. Commercial Service

(NY Public Library) Throughout 2014 the Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce has been holding a series of conferences around the United States promoting the export opportunities found in different foreign markets called Discover Global Markets. The session being held in New York, October 7-8, will focus on Greater China where attendees will have the opportunity to meet with U.S. Commercial Service diplomats stationed there, participate in panel discussions in the latest industry trends in China, identify emerging consumer markets, learn about U.S. Government assistance programs and network with officials, experts and business people experienced in the Chinese market.

The U.S. Commercial Service maintains a network of Export Assistance Centers throughout the United States where one can meet in person free-of-charge with industry specialists to explore exporting a product or service. There are five office locations alone in the New York City area in lower Manhattan, Harlem, Long Island, Westchester County and Newark, NJ. In addition to one-on-one counseling the U.S. Commercial Service also hosts Export.gov which offers a Market Research Library of regularly updated country specific reports such as their Country Commercial Guides which are released annually for each national market. According to the latest Country Commercial Guide for China, the leading industry sectors for U.S. companies include frachising, healthcare, rail and urban rail and packaged foods. Despite China s economy slowing in recent years, the country still has a growing middle class larger than the population of the entire United States hungry for western goods. According to a recent Economist report on the retail sector in China it is expected to grow 8% annually during the next five years and will surpass that of the United States at the end of that time period. The report also states that China is the largest grocery, luxury goods and e-commerce market in the world.

The New York Public Library offers access to a number of electronic databases which allow the researcher to read regularly updated reports on China s and other countries industrial sectors, major companies, financial markets and economic conditions. These include Business Monitor Online, Emerging Markets ISI and IBIS World. If you are interested in sourcing products from China the Panjiva database reveals who the foreign suppliers are to importers located in the United States.
Source: www.nypl.org

A Prescription for Ending the HIV Epidemic

(AIDS) By Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cross-posted from The Huffington PostAntiretroviral treatment can enable HIV-infected Americans to avoid the debilitating illnesses and premature death once nearly inescapable for people with the infection. Research has shown that, when taken consistently, these medications alsogreatly reduce transmissionof the virus to others.
In other words, if everyone in the United States who is infected with HIV took antiretroviral therapy daily, not only would they be healthier, the number of new HIV infections in this country could plummet.
The potential for HIV treatment to change the course of the epidemic by dramatically reducing sexual transmission and the number of new infections that occur each year, and to change the course of the epidemic is the basis of a core CDC HIV prevention strategy — and one embraced by theNational HIV/AIDS Strategy. Namely, to ensure that all people with HIV know they have the virus, have access to treatment, take treatment daily, and minimize transmitting the virus to others.
The first critical step toward treating and preventing HIV infections isHIV testing[PDF 132 MB]. Knowledge of HIV status allows people who test positive to begin treatment for their own health and take steps to prevent transmission to others. Substantial progress has been made to expand HIV testing efforts and increase the percentage of Americans with HIV who are aware they’re infected — from 75 percent in 2003 to 84 percent in 2010 — but simply knowing your status isn’t enough.

One in five Americans[PDF 1.07MB]who are diagnosed with HIV do not receive care within three months of diagnosis, andabout half[PDF 1.07MB]of those diagnosed with HIV do not receive continued care and treatment. This may be because they don’t know where to go for HIV care in their communities, have trouble accessing health care, are afraid of being identified as HIV-infected or at risk, or have life circumstances that make receiving ongoing care difficult.
These are just a few reasons that onlyone-quarter of Americans[PDF 195KB]living with HIV receive treatment and take their medication with enough regularity to suppress the infection in their bodies to levels that maximize health benefits and reduce the spread of HIV to others.
To ensure that people get the HIV treatment and care they need, CDC is supporting efforts on several fronts to link people to follow-up medical care as soon as they test HIV positive. CDC also is researching new ways to help people stay in care and on treatment once they start and is ensuring that every one of the state and local health departments and community organizations that CDC funds makes prevention services that include treatment for people living with HIV a priority.
CDC also worked with people living with HIV to develop a new communications campaign urging everyone with HIV to start and stay on treatment. The campaign, calledHIV Treatment Works, includes ads, billboards, social media channels and community outreach featuring the faces and voices of real people living with HIV and on treatment.
One of these voices belongs to Aaron, a co-author of this piece, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2011. By sticking to his treatment plan and taking good care of his health, he is able to continue living his life to the fullest, while at the same time using his experience to touch the lives of others with HIV.Aaron now dedicates himselfto educating newly diagnosed people about HIV treatment and encouraging them not to give up — even if they are feeling scared or frustrated.
These stories — our stories — are about how we can overcome the challenges many face in getting treatment and staying in care. It’s about improving the health of individuals living with HIV, and helping them continue to lead meaningful lives — while having the peace of mind that they are also helping to protect others and preventing the spread of HIV.
We need everyone to hear the message: HIV treatment works. It can save your life, protect your loved ones, and — when combined with other high impact prevention strategies — can ultimately help end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
To join the effort, visit theHIV Treatment Works websiteand learn what you can do.
Source: www.aids.gov

CDC and HRSA Announce Funding Opportunities for HIV Prevention and Care

(AIDS) By AIDS.govBoth the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced funding opportunities for HIV services that may be of interest to readers of the AIDS.gov blog.
CDC Funding for High Impact HIV Prevention Programs for CBOs: Deadline November 14
CDC announced the availability of fiscal year 2015 funds for a cooperative agreement program for community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop and implement High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs in the following two categories:

Category A: HIV prevention services for members of racial/ethnic minority communities. These services must focus on members at greatest risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV infection. Examples of these minority communities include, but are not limited to, Black/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asian, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders.
Category B: HIV prevention services for members of groups at greatest risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV infection, regardless of race/ethnicity. Examples include, but are not limited to, HIV-positive persons, men who have sex with men, injection drug users, and transgender persons.

Applicants are required to provide HIV prevention services for both HIV-positive persons and high-risk HIV-negative persons, regardless of the category for which funding is being requested.
This opportunity is limited to non-profit organizations (e.g., community, faith-based, and tribal organizations) that must be located and provide services in the 50 specified Metropolitan Statistical Areas[PDF 284KB], selected based upon having the highest unadjusted number of diagnoses of HIV infection in 2011.
Pre-application technical assistance is available to prospective applicants via workshops and webinar conference calls. Read more about the TA opportunities.
Up to $210 million is available to support up to 100 awards for a five-year period of performance. Applications are due November 14, 2014.
Read more information about Funding Opportunity Announcement: PS15-1502: Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Projects for Community-Based Organizations.
HRSA Announces Availability of $25 Million to Support HIV Early Intervention Services (HRSA-15-027)
HRSAs HIV/AIDS Bureau is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2015 (FY15), Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C, HIV Early Intervention Services (EIS) Program. The purpose of this grant program is to provide HIV primary care in the outpatient setting targeted to low-income, vulnerable, medically underserved persons living with HIV (PLWH). Applicants must propose to provide a comprehensive continuum of outpatient HIV primary care services in the service area including: 1) targeted HIV counseling, testing, and referral; 2) medical evaluation and clinical care; 3) other primary care services; and 4) referrals to other health services.
This competition is open to existing and new organizations proposing to provide RWHAP Part C funded services in the service areas as listed in the funding announcement.
Approximately $26.4 million is expected to be available annually to fund up to 54 awardees. The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the FY15 Federal budget.
Applications are due November 14, 2014, with an anticipated project start date of May 1, 2015, for two-year projects. HRSA requires applicants for this funding opportunity announcement to apply electronically through Grants.gov.
Read more about the funding opportunity, including details on eligible applicants, the application submission process, and application requirements at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/index.html.
Source: www.aids.gov

From Awareness to Action: Making It Easier for Families to Prepare for a Disaster

(FEMA) Author: Craig FugateEditor s note: this post first appeared on HuffingtonPost.com.Two weeks ago, FEMA shared research about the state of family preparedness in America. The good news is that a large number of American families are aware of the importance of preparing for emergencies. The bad news is that awareness doesn t always translate into action. In fact, roughly half of all Americans have not discussed, or developed an emergency plan with their family about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster.That s just not good enough.During National Preparedness Month, FEMA, in coordination with partners all across the country, is asking everyone to take one simple, free step toward being prepared during an emergency like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake: Make a family communications plan. Why does this matter Having a family communications plan on hand can literally mean the difference between being with the ones you love the most during a disaster, or the anxiety of frantically trying to find and reunite with your children and loved ones. Think about it: Emergencies don t always happen when your family is all together. Your kids may be at school. Your spouse may be at work. You may be traveling out-of-town.Having a family communications plan can help even when there isn t a large scale disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane. They re also helpful for day-to-day routines when things can be unpredictable. For example, how would you get in touch with your family if cell phone networks are down or your cell phone runs out of battery lifeFortunately, creating a family communication plan is simple: Just sit down as a family and ask yourselves about different things that could happen, think through the specific steps you all may need to take, and write down the information you all need to have. We even have a free family communication plan template at Ready.gov to help get the discussion going. Once you have a basic communication plan done, keep going with the conversation and consider other vital questions like: "Is our insurance coverage up to date", "Do we have copies of important documents we may need if we can t access our home", and "Do we live in an evacuation zone" All of these conversations, when taken together as a family, can help you all be better prepared.To build on our efforts to improve the state of preparedness in America, FEMA, in partnership with the Ad Council, has released powerful and emotional new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that illustrate the harsh reality of what can happen when a family communication plan isn t in place before a disaster or emergency strikes. Created pro bono by New York-based ad agency Deutsch, a new series of ads depict the aftermath of a disaster and show two families; one set of parents who have safely arrived to a shelter with all of their children, and one set of parents who are frantically searching for theirs. Through these PSAs, families are faced with what can happen when you don t have an emergency plan in place before a disaster or emergency strikes.To further encourage Americans to take action, National Preparedness Month will also culminate with America s PrepareAthon! a national grassroots day of action. On September 30, people in all 50 states will come together to take actions around the hazards their communities could face with drills, conversations, and exercises in their schools, workplaces, houses of worship and organizations.We hope more Americans will consider joining us for this national day of action, National PrepareAthon! Day. To learn more you can go to Ready.gov/Prepare. While we can t prevent all disasters, it s important we all do what we can to prepare for them--and creating a family communications plan and registering for an America s PrepareAthon! event are great places to start.Source: www.fema.gov

Lets talk about online safety

(OnGuard)

The new school year is in full swing and National Cyber Security Awareness Month is around the corner.What better time to talk to the kids in your life about online safety. Many of our readers are doing just that and using Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online as the basis for the conversation.Over 1 million copies of the new Net Cetera have been distributed throughout the U.S. since January 2014. Time and time again, our readers have told us they think Net Cetera is a valuable tool. Teachers, counselors, media specialists, parents, and grandparents have told us theyreusing tips from the booklet when discussing online safety with kids, and sharing copies of Net Cetera at PTA and Scout meetings. School districts including some that are launching 1:1 laptop or tablet programs tell us theyre sending a copy home with each child. Libraries and community centers say theyre stocking their shelves with Net Cetera; police officers have let us know theyre distributing copies at community events and conferences; and companies and organizations have ordered copies for their employees. Why is Net Cetera so popular We think its because it offers practical and value-neutral tips on important issues like cyberbullying, sexting, computer safety, parental controls, mobile apps, and public Wi-Fi. It also covers rights and choices parents have in protecting their kids privacy online under COPPA, the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act.Order as many copies of Net Cetera as you need from ftc.gov/bulkorder, and youll get them within4 weeks.We hope youll let us know how youre using Net Cetera! Check out the Net Cetera online toolkit for ideas.

Aditi Jhaveri

Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Topics: Protect Kids OnlineTagged with: chatting with kids, computer security, COPPA, cyberbullying, kids, Net Cetera, online safety, sexting, social networking, Wi-FiSource: www.onguardonline.gov

These online high schools didnt make the grade

(OnGuard)

Looking for a way to get your high school diploma or a college degree online Youll want to read this.Today, the FTC announced a case against several companies that sold fake high school diplomas online. The companies claimed you could become a high school graduate and earn an official diploma by paying $200 to $300 in fees and taking their online multiple-choice test. They also promised you could use these online diplomas the same way you would use a traditional diploma or a GED: to apply for jobs, enroll in college, and receive the recognition you aspire for in life.However, the FTC charged that getting a diploma from Jefferson High School Online or Enterprise High School Online was not the same as earning a traditional high school diploma or a GED certificate. According to the FTCs complaint, people who used these diplomas to try to get into college, apply for jobs, or enlist in the military were turned down because their diplomas were not valid;neither Jefferson nor Enterprise was a legitimate or accredited online school, and the diplomas they offered were worthless.While many online schools provide legitimate degrees to students, others are selling sham degrees.Diploma mills exist solely to make money, not to provide an education. And many bogus degree programs have well-designed websites, familiar sounding names, and fake testimonials to seem legitimate.How can you tell if youre dealing with a diploma mill Ads might say that the program:charges you a flat fee for the degreeoffers a degree in a few months, weeks, or even just daysrequires little or no course work, and no interaction with teachersoffers a degree for your work or life experience aloneBefore you pay for a credential, do a little homework that goes beyond the organizations own website. Search for reviews of an online high school or college and for the organizations name on the Better Business Bureau site. You might find some valuable insights from others. If youre looking specifically for an online college degree program, check the Department of Educations Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs to seewhether the school is accredited.For more details, check out our article on diploma mills, as well as information provided by the Department of Education. And if you think youve dealt with a diploma mill, we want to hear about it at ftc.gov/complaint.

Aditi Jhaveri

Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Topics: Avoid ScamsTagged with: high school, online, scamSource: www.onguardonline.gov

Portland CareerCenter Mini Job Fair on October 1

(Maine D.O.L.) For Immediate Release: September 29, 2014
Contact: Mike Roland, Portland CareerCenter, 771-5627; Julie Rabinowitz, Maine Department of Labor, 621-5009
*CareerCenter to host monthly job fairs*
PORTLAND-At least nine employers will be hiring at the Portland CareerCenter s mini Job Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014. The CareerCenter is located at 185 Lancaster Street in Portland.
"Maine s employers are hiring; our state gained 9,400 private-sector jobs in the past year and there are about 8,000 open jobs on our Job Bank right now," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "This job fair will help you find both seasonal and year-round positions. Come out, meet employers and discover new opportunities in Greater Portland."
Participating employers include Circle K, Fed Ex Ground, Home Depot, Kohl s, L.L. Bean, Orkin Pest Control, Sequel Care, VIP and Walmart. All are seeking qualified employees to fill current positions.
Job seekers are encouraged to dress appropriately, bring a current resume and be prepared to interview. Attendees should park in lots along the block on Lancaster Street with signs marked Bayside or Government Center or at the Public Market Parking Garage at corner of Elm Street and Cumberland Avenue. For more information, call 771-5627 (TTY users call Maine Relay 711).
The Portland CareerCenter will now be holding monthly jobs fairs in addition to offering individual employers recruitment opportunities. The November Job Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014.
CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Each center provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge.
More information is available on the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .
Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
-end-Source: www.maine.gov

October Programs at the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter

(Maine D.O.L.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2014
Contact: Leon Ouimet, Southern Midcoast CareerCenter, 207-373-4000; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 207-621-5009Brunswick-The Southern Midcoast CareerCenter, part of the Maine Department of Labor, and its partners offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills and employers to find qualified workers."CareerCenters provide the tools to help Mainers find good paying jobs," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Looking for a job can be a long process, but you don t have to go it alone. The career counselors at the the centers have helped thousands. It just takes that first step to ask for the help that can make your search shorter and more successful."The Southern Midcoast CareerCenter in Brunswick continues its series of workshops and programs for job seekers and those considering training to upgrade their skills and increase their employability. For more information on any of the CareerCenters programs, visit http://www.mainecareercenter.com or call 207-373-4000.The following workshops and programs are free to the public and will be held at the CareerCenter in Brunswick unless otherwise noted. All events require pre-registration in person or by phone.Career Directions / Putting the Pieces Together: Wednesday. October 1, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Explores your career interests, aptitudes, values, personality, motivation and how each transfers to today s job market.Resume and Cover Letter Writing Workshop: Wednesday, October 8, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Covers the basics of how to evaluate or create an effective resume and cover letter..Effective Job Interviewing Workshop: Wednesday, October 15, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dedicated to exploring proper interviewing techniques and tips.GATEways to Employment: Thursdays, October 9 and 23, 9 a.m. to noon. Designed to help you jump start your work search with the latest tips and tools you ll need to know to conduct a successful job search in today s labor market. (Please Note: Maine Job Bank Registration/Account Required)Computer Boot Camp: Individual sessions held daily 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. (Except Wed.), and 3:30 to 4:30p.m. All sessions are by appointment only. Basic instruction on how to use a computer for work search purposes. (Intended for novice computer users only.)The Southern Midcoast CareerCenter also features several sessions led by these partner organizations:Essentials of College Planning Workshop: Tuesdays, September 2, 16 and 30, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tuesday, October 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Christy Le from the Maine Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC) offers a free workshop for adults 19 and older covering College Awareness and Planning along with the Federal Financial Aid process. She will assist participants in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To register for the next available session or for more information, call 1-800-281-3703 or visit MEOC s website, meoc.maine.edu . Small Business Start Up Workshop: Thursday, October 16, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Interested in self-employment So what does it really take to plan, start and run a successful small business where you can realize the challenges and satisfaction of working for yourself Join us for a 2 hour afternoon session, where Maine Small Business Development Center Certified Master Business Counselor, Brad Swanson will walk you through the keys to successful business startup and management, focusing on the business plan: What is it Why do you need one What can it do for you Goodwill Workforce Solutions administers federally funded employment and training programs through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Certain eligibility requirements apply. If you are at least 22 years of age and think you might qualify or benefit from training, contact the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter in Brunswick at 207-373-4000 to speak with a Goodwill representative. Applicants 16 to 21 years of age should call the above number and inquire about the WIA Youth Program.Maine Centers for Women, Work & Community offer no cost classes in Assertive Communication, Creating Your Future, Creating the Rest of Your Life, Credit Yourself, Entrepreneurial Training, Financing Your Future, Professional Development and Mature Worker Activities. For more information, call Shelley Taylor in Brunswick at 207-386-1664 or go to http://www.womenworkandcommunity.org . Workshops are held at Brunswick Landing at the University College administrative offices, found on the campus of Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) on the first floor wing of Orion Hall, 12 Sewall Street, Brunswick.Each of the 12 statewide CareerCenters provide public-access computer workstations equipped with Microsoft Office, resume writing and cover letter software. In addition Internet access and O Net software for individual skills assessment are provided. Employers can list their open positions on Maine s Job Bank and take advantage of the online matching system, which identifies and refers job candidates. All CareerCenter services are provided free of charge to employers and job seeking customers.The Southern Midcoast CareerCenter, located at 275 Bath Road in Brunswick, is open 8 a.m.to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and can be reached at 207-373-4000 or 1-888-836-3355 (TTY users should dial Maine Relay 711). You can also find more information at the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com . Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.Source: www.maine.gov

October Programs for Job Seekers at the Machias and Calais CareerCenters

(Maine D.O.L.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2014
Contact: Nichole Jamison, Washington County CareerCenters, 255-1900; Julie Rabinowitz, 621-5009WASHINGTON COUNTY-CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Each center provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge."CareerCenters provide the tools to help Mainers find good paying jobs," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Looking for a job can be a long process, but you don t have to go it alone. The career counselors at the the centers have helped thousands. It just takes that first step to ask for the help that can make your search shorter and more successful."To learn more, like the Washington County CareerCenters on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-County-CareerCenters/606111642755982 . The following workshops and programs will be held at the indicated CareerCenters. All events require pre-registration in person or by phone.GATEways to Employment: Group Access to Employment Session
October 1, 2 p.m., Calais CareerCenter; October 23, 9 a.m., Machias CareerCenterIs your job search in need of a boost Are you looking for a way to stand out to a potential employer Do you want to be at a significant advantage from other job seekers in today s competitive work/job seeking environment GATEways to Employment is a great opportunity for you! Come and share your ideas and experiences with other job seekers. This is a great way to increase your job search success, to gain insight on the latest job search techniques, and to maximize your potential. CareerCenter is here to help you find your key to success! To register call Michelle at 1-800-292-8929.Work Incentive Workshop
October 8, Noon., Machias CareerCenterIf you receive SSI/SSDI benefits and are thinking about going back to work, you might be concerned about how your earnings will affect your benefits. By attending this workshop, you may be able to get some of your questions answered. For more information or to register, please call Donald Rice at 1-800-543-0303 or 207-454-7551.Essentials of College Planning presented by MEOC
October 7 and 21, 10 a.m., Machias CareerCenterThis workshop will survey the basic steps for successful college enrollment. The session will discuss college and trade school options in our region, entrance requirements, readiness and transitional issues of adult students, admissions procedures and financial aid. During the session we will review a typical admissions application, request admissions materials and financial aid information from prospective colleges for each participant, and, if appropriate, will complete the financial aid form. This session is designed to set the stage for future enhanced workshops or individual counseling sessions. Participants should bring last year s 1040 tax form (or income estimates) and any high school/GED and college transcripts. To register for a MEOC Workshop call 1-800-281-3703.Loring Job Corps Walk-in Interviews
October 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Machias CareerCenter
October 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Calais CareCenterInterested in starting a new career Loring Job Corps Center will be at the CareerCenter from conducting walk-in interviews. Stop by and check out a new career!The CareerCenter, located at 53 Prescott Drive, Suite 1 in Machias and One College Drive in Calais, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information is available on the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.-end- Source: www.maine.gov

October Workshops at the Skowhegan CareerCenter

(Maine D.O.L.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2014
Contact: Anita Dunham, Skowhegan CareerCenter, 474-4950; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 621-5009SKOWHEGAN-Maine CareerCenters bring job seekers and employers together. For those who are looking to make a change in careers or get a new job, the Skowhegan CareerCenter will be offering a variety of programs for job seekers in October."CareerCenters provide the tools to help Mainers find good paying jobs," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Looking for a job can be a long process, but you don t have to go it alone. The career counselors at the the centers have helped thousands. It just takes that first step to ask for the help that can make your search shorter and more successful."Workshops and events are held at the CareerCenter unless otherwise noted. To learn more, like the Skowhegan CareerCenter on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SkowheganCareercenter . Maine Veterans receive priority of service in all CareerCenter programs. To register for sessions held at the CareerCenter, call 474-4950.GATEway to Employment: Monday, October 6 and 20, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.This workshop will provide you more information about the resources that the CareerCenter has to offer, including the newest tools to assist you in conducting an efficient and productive job search. Topics covered include: how to tap into the "hidden job market," identifying the skills you have to offer employers, tips on successfully completing applications, resumes and cover letters and how to register and apply for jobs posted through the CareerCenter.Resume I and Cover Letter Writing: Tuesday, October 7, 1 to 3:30 p.m.This workshop provides valuable tips on cover letters, resume writing, the contents and format and much more. Learn to make a new, highly effective resume using the techniques taught in this workshop.Successful Interviewing Skills: October 21, 1 to 3:30 p.m.Discussion of the purpose of the interview, types of interviews and general preparation for interviews. "Tough" interview questions will be discussed so that you can answer them with confidence. Essentials of College Planning for Adults: Wednesday, October 8 and 29, 10 a.m.This interactive workshop touches on the four steps in the college process: admissions, financial aid, career planning and study skills. The financial aid portion of this workshop will provide an overview of financial basics and the completion of the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Bring last year s income tax forms to this appointment. Please call 1-800-281-3703 to pre-register. This session is held at the DHHS offices located next door to the CareerCenter in the same building.CareerCenter Application SessionOur CareerCenter Consultants assist people with their job searches, career decision making and training plans. If you are interested in obtaining more one-on-one assistance from a CareerCenter Consultant, contact the CareerCenter at 474-4950 to make an appointment and get the list of required documents to bring. CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Each center provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O*Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge.Call 474-4950 (TTY users call Maine Relay 711) for additional information and to register for workshops. The CareerCenter, located at 98 North Avenue, Suite 20, Skowhegan, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information is available on the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.-end- Source: www.maine.gov

October Programs for Job Seekers at the Wilton CareerCenter

(Maine D.O.L.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2014
Contact: Anita Dunham, Wilton CareerCenter, 645-5800; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 621-5009WILTON-For those who are looking to make a change in careers or get a new job, the Wilton CareerCenter will be offering a variety of programs for job seekers in October. All workshops and events are held at the CareerCenter unless otherwise noted. "CareerCenters provide the tools to help Mainers find good paying jobs," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Looking for a job can be a long process, but you don t have to go it alone. The career counselors at the the centers have helped thousands. It just takes that first step to ask for the help that can make your search shorter and more successful."Workshops and events are held at the CareerCenter unless otherwise noted. To learn more, like the Wilton CareerCenter on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WiltonCareercenter . Maine Veterans receive priority of service in all CareerCenter programs. To register for sessions held at the CareerCenter, call 645-5800.Vocational Rehabilitation Orientation: Thursday, October 2, 9 a.m. to noon.This orientation is for people with disabilities, who are considering Vocational Rehabilitation services. Registration is not required. GATEway to Employment: Wednesday, October 8 and 15, 9 a.m. to noon.This workshop offers an overview of basic information on resumes; interviews and job search skills as well as CareerCenter and community resources available during a job search-learn how the CareerCenter can help! Essentials of College Planning for Adults: Thursday, October 16, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Covers the basic steps for successful college enrollment: learn about college and trade schools, entrance requirements, readiness and transitional issues of adult students, admissions procedures and financial aid. Review a typical admissions application, request admissions materials and financial aid information from prospective colleges and complete the financial aid form. To register, call 800-281-3703. Bring last year s income tax forms to the appointment. Resumes and Interview Skills: Call to ScheduleAn in-depth exploration of the job search, resumes, applications and interviews. Learn how to stand out positively by marketing yourself-in person and on paper-in a way that directly matches employer needs. "Tough" interview questions will be discussed so that you can answer them with confidence. Call us at 645-5800 to check our schedule of dates and times and schedule a workshop.O*Net Ability Profiler: Call to ScheduleO*Net is a career exploration tool that helps individuals plan work livelihoods using a paper and pencil format with optional apparatus parts and computerized scoring. Results can be used to identify strengths for which more training/education is needed and to identify occupations that fit an individual s strengths. Please call if interested; this workshop requires five or more participants to run. Community College Adviser: Contact to ScheduleDiscuss your college options and explore college choices based on your interests and career goals. Call Randy Berry at 740-0112 or email him at rberry@cmcc.edu for an appointment. CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Each center provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O*Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge.Call 645-5800 (TTY users call Maine Relay 711) for additional information and to register for workshops held at the CareerCenter. The CareerCenter, located at 865 U.S. Rt. 2E Wilton, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information is available on the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.- end - Source: www.maine.gov

October Programs at the Rockland CareerCenter

(Maine D.O.L.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2014
Contact: David Grima, Rockland CareerCenter, 207-596-2600; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 207-621-5009ROCKLAND-The Rockland CareerCenter, part of the Maine Department of Labor, and its partners offer a variety of services to help people find employment or upgrade skills and employers to find qualified workers."CareerCenters provide the tools to help Mainers find good paying jobs," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Looking for a job can be a long process, but you don t have to go it alone. The career counselors at the the centers have helped thousands. It just takes that first step to ask for the help that can make your search shorter and more successful."The Rockland CareerCenter continues its series of workshops and programs for job seekers and those considering training to upgrade their skills and increase their employability. For more information, like the Rockland CareerCenter on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RocklandCareerCenter or call 596-2600.The following workshops and programs are free to the public and will be held at the CareerCenter in Rockland unless otherwise noted. All events require pre-registration in person or by phone.GATEways to Employment: Tuesday, Oct. 7 and 21, 9 a.m. to Noon.
Designed to help you jump start your work search with the latest tips and tools to conduct a successful job search in today s labor market. Career Directions / Putting the Pieces Together: Wednesday, October 1, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Explores your career interests, aptitudes, values, personality, motivations, and shows how each transfers to today s job market.Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Wednesday, October 8, 9 a.m. to noon
Understand your personality type as an aid to choosing a career. This workshop requires you to complete a paper quiz at the CareerCenter at least one week before.Resume and Cover Letter Writing: Wednesday, October 15, 9 a.m. to noon
Shows the basics of how to evaluate or create an effective resume and cover letter.Effective Interviewing Skills: Wednesday, October 22, 9 a.m. to noon
Dedicated to exploring proper interviewing techniques and tips.Small Business Start-up: Tuesday, October 21, 1 to 3 p.m.
Shows how to approach a business plan, for people interested in opening a small business.Computer Boot Camp: Tuesday mornings
Arrange time with staff. Designed to introduce basic computer skills to people who have not used one before. By appointment only. The Rockland CareerCenter also features several sessions led by these partner organizations:Goodwill Workforce Solutions administers federally funded employment and training programs through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Certain eligibility requirements apply. If you are at least 22 years of age and think you might qualify or benefit from training, contact the Rockland CareerCenter in at 596-2600 to reserve a seat in training orientation sessions offered every other week on Monday afternoons. WIA applications for those interested in will be made available at the end of the orientation. Applicants 16 to 21 years of age should call the above number and inquire about the WIA Youth Program.Maine Centers for Women, Work & Community offers no-cost classes in Assertive Communication, Creating Your Future, Creating the Rest of Your Life, Credit Yourself, Entrepreneurial Training, Financing Your Future, Professional Development and Mature Worker Activities. For more information, call Shelley Taylor in Bath at 386-1664 or go to http://www.womenworkandcommunity.org . Workshops are held at the Midcoast Center for Higher Education, 9 Park Street in Bath and are open to all interested parties.Each of the 12 statewide CareerCenters provides public-access computer workstations equipped with Microsoft Office, resume writing and cover letter software. In addition Internet access and O Net software for individual skills assessment are provided. Employers can list their open positions on Maine s Job Bank and take advantage of the online matching system, which identifies and refers job candidates. All CareerCenter services are provided free of charge to employers and job-seeking customers.Rockland CareerCenter is at 91 Camden St. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and can be reached at 596-2600 or 1-877-421-7916. TTY users should dial Maine Relay 711. Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.-end- Source: www.maine.gov

Presidential Proclamation --- Gold Star Mother s and Family s Day, 2014

(White House) GOLD STAR MOTHER S AND FAMILY S DAY, 2014
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
For generations, mothers and families have given a piece of their heart to our Nation as their loved ones serve in our Armed Forces with honor and distinction. Seventy years ago, as Americans stormed an unforgiving beach, families waited anxiously for a call or a letter from an ocean away. And today, many families experience the absence of a deployed service member so future generations might know a more just and peaceful world. On Gold Star Mother s and Family s Day, we pay tribute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to the families who suffered the unimaginable pain of losing them so our Union might endure.
Hung in these families front windows, blue-turned-gold stars remind us of their extraordinary loss and reflect not only the pride still in their eyes, but also the tears of pain that will never fully go away. Our Gold Star families hold dear to the values for which their loved ones gave their lives. With courage and resilience, they preserve the memories of the brave men and women we have lost by giving back to their communities and working toward a better future. As a Nation, we will always honor the sacrifice these families have made.
Our sacred obligation to our service members and their loved ones will never be forgotten. On this day and every day, we salute all those who have worn America s uniforms and the families who stand by them. Our homeland is stronger and safer because of these heroes. As we celebrate the memories of our troops who gave their last full measure of devotion, we renew our commitment to look after the loved ones they have left in our care.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1985 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother s Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 28, 2014, as Gold Star Mother s and Family s Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this special day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation s gratitude and respect for our Gold Star Mothers and Families.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA
Source: www.whitehouse.gov

Readout of the Vice Presidents Meeting with President Fuad Masum of Iraq

(White House) Vice President Biden met today at the United Nations with President Fuad Masum of Iraq. The Vice President reaffirmed the United States’ support for the people of Iraq and their new government in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Vice President Biden and President Masum discussed ongoing security efforts, including historic cooperation between Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and regional and international partners. Vice President Biden and President Masum agreed on the importance of political progress to address longstanding disputes and further unite the Iraqi people against ISIL and other extremist groups.
Source: www.whitehouse.gov

Statement by the Chair of Global Health Security Agenda White House Event, September 26, 2014

(White House) 44 countries announced over 100 new commitments to prevent, detect and respond to biological threats worldwide. President Obama and senior officials from around the world called on nations to act now to achieve enduring global health security capacity in West Africa and around the world.
President of the United States Barack Obama, National Security Advisor Rice, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Monaco, and Secretaries Burwell, Kerry and Hagel met today with Ministers and senior officials from 43 other countries and leading international organizations to make concrete commitments to advance the Global Health Security Agenda. The escalating Ebola epidemic in West Africa highlights the necessity to establish global capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to biological threats of any origin. The group also affirmed the imperative to build, measure and maintain systems—including laboratory networks, workforce training, interoperable systems for disease detection in real time, national biosecurity and biosafety systems, national action plans for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria, and emergency operation centers—so countries can efficiently counter biological threats through an integrated, whole-of-government approach.
The President called upon all countries to make new, concrete commitments to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics. He underscored the U.S. commitment to assist at least 30 countries over the next five years to achieve the objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda and outlined key priorities for the Administration on Global Health Security, including ending the Ebola epidemic, combating antibiotic resistant bacteria, improving biosafety and biosecurity on a global basis, and preventing bioterrorism.
Participating Nations: Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and Yemen.
Chair’s Statement:
We launched the Global Health Security Agenda on February 13, 2014 to accelerate our global capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to disease threats like Ebola and other infectious disease outbreaks – before they turn into epidemics. Our vision is clear and urgent: We must accelerate progress towards a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats through our collective capacity to prevent and control outbreaks whenever and wherever they occur.
On September 26, 2014 in Washington, D.C. at the White House, we came together as Ministers and Senior Officials from 44 nations, the Directors General from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), senior leadership from the European Union, the African Union, the United Nations, the World Bank and Interpol – to accelerate the implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and the vision of a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring, deliberate, or accidental.
Today we affirmed:
We stand together with our West Africa partners to end the Ebola epidemic, which underscores the urgency with which we must act to secure the needed capacity around the world to prevent this from happening again.
A biological threat anywhere is a biological threat everywhere, and it is the world’s responsibility to respond as one.
Infectious disease outbreaks are a national security priority. They threaten peace, stability, and the economic prosperity of our world; the consequences of not acting are unfathomable.
We have the tools and the political will to assist nations that are not yet prepared. Today, we made concrete commitments to support other nations to achieve the objectives of the GHSA. We call on all nations to act now to provide needed capacity around the world, including what is needed to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats across West Africa. This is an urgent need and it includes achieving the core capacities of the International Health Regulations and the Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway.
Ebola will not be the last biological threat we face. Even today, in other parts of the world highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, and drug-resistant bacteria continue to pose serious threats to the health and well-being of all people. The same resolve we are demonstrating in the face of Ebola must be sustained so that robust health systems are in place to enable a more rapid and effective response to the next outbreak, no matter what the source.
Today is the next milestone in our commitment to urgently accelerate progress.
Today, we announced over 100 new commitments to implement 11 Action Packages, including specific targets and indicators that will be used as a basis for making sure that national, regional, and global capacities are developed and maintained over the long-term. These Action Packages, and our commitments to them, will form core work of the GHSA over the next five years.
We also established a GHSA Steering Group, chaired by Finland starting in 2015, with representation from 10 countries around the world, including: Canada, Chile, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea and the United States. We welcome the WHO, FAO, and OIE as permanent advisors to the Steering Group, which will be charged with tracking progress and holding ourselves accountable for achieving the objectives of the GHSA in support of international standards. We welcome advisors from other non-governmental stakeholders to help implement GHSA objectives and evaluate our progress.
We welcome the commitment from the Republic of Korea to hold the next GHSA high level meeting in 2015 to measure our progress and hold ourselves accountable for tangible actions, and we charge this group with achieving measurable gains toward specific targets over the coming months.
All nations share the GHSA responsibility. We call on nations around the world to join us in addressing biological threats as a national priority and accelerating action toward a world safe and secure from all infectious disease threats.
Source: www.whitehouse.gov

White House Announces Recipients of $450 Million in Job-Driven Training Grants

(White House) $450 Million in Grants to Nearly 270 Community Colleges Partnering with More than 400 Employers Nationally
Training America’s workers with the skills they need for a good job can help middle class families and help American businesses grow our economy. While America’s businesses have created 10 million jobs over the past 54 months, the longest streak of uninterrupted job growth in our country’s history, we need to do more to train Americans with the skills they need, and connect them with businesses that are looking for skilled workers.
Today, as part of this effort, Vice President Biden, Secretary Thomas E. Perez, and Secretary Arne Duncan are announcing the winners of $450 million in job-driven training grants going to nearly 270 community colleges across the country. The funding is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program, which is co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education.
The grants will provide community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to partner with employers to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that will help job seekers get the skills they need for in-demand jobs in industries like information technology, health care, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Building on the strategies advanced in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, these types of job-driven training partnerships were also identified in the Vice President’s job-driven training report released in July as an important way to successfully prepare and place workers in jobs that pay a middle class wage.
Highlights About Today’s Job-Driven Training Grant Awards:

Awarding $450 Million to Nearly 270 Community Colleges Partnering with More than 400 Employers Nationally: Today’s 71 grantees build on nearly $1.5 billion in TAACCCT grant funds that have gone over the past three years to strengthen and expand job-driven training partnerships in communities across the country.

Partnerships with Hundreds of Employers to Train Low-Wage Workers for Middle-Class Jobs: All grantees are required to partner with employers to develop training programs to enable workers to build skills that will help them obtain good jobs. Partnerships with employers such as Exxon-Mobil, IBM, Delta, Jetblue, CVS, and Habitat for Humanity, and with labor and community based organizations such as SEIU, Goodwill Industries, Urban League and the United Way, will assist in getting thousands of low-wage Americans access to more internships, apprenticeships, and job-relevant basic skills education and training in order to move up the career ladder into better-paying jobs that employers across the country are looking to fill.

Winners Are in High Demand Fields – Including 25 Focusing on IT and Cybersecurity: 25 grantees are developing new training programs for information technology and cybersecurity jobs, which are growing two times the national average. In partnership with employers such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Booz Allen, and SpaceX, these programs will help alleviate the projected national shortage of IT workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 1.4 million additional IT jobs created by 2020 and only 400,000 computer science graduates.

Building on Progress and Moving Ahead
Many of today’s grantees are building on the efforts of past TAACCCT winners, leveraging curriculum that has been developed through strong partnerships between community colleges, the workforce system, employers and industry groups to transform the way they design and deliver courses through accelerated learning strategies.
Consistent with the recommendation of the Vice President’s job-driven training report, community college grantees in this final round will work with business and industry to upskill thousands of low-wage, low-skill workers and expand competency-based accelerated training pathways to in-demand jobs in information technology, manufacturing, health care, and other fields.
The Administration will continue to take action and work with educators, businesses, labor, and other leaders across the country to train American workers, expand the middle class, and grow the economy. The Vice President’s job-driven training report identified a job-driven “checklist” as a tool to maximize the effectiveness of over 25 competitive grant programs, to direct state and local training and employment programs to become more job-driven, to make sure all federal employment and training programs are engaging employers, and to improve information on employment results so we know what’s working well and what’s not.
We must continue to invest in these types of partnerships, which successfully train American workers. That’s why the President’s 2015 budget proposes a $6 billion Community College Job-Driven Training Fund to ensure that we are sufficiently investing in partnerships between our nation’s community colleges and employers to ensure all American have access to workplace relevant skills and training.
The President’s 2015 budget proposes investing $6 billion over four years in a Community College Job-Driven Training Fund. This fund would support competitive grants to partnerships of community colleges, industry and employers to reform job training curricula and launch new programs to train workers for in-demand jobs and careers. This fund will also help to spur the development and adoption of common, industry-recognized credentials and skill assessments to allow employers to more easily identify and hire qualified candidates. $2 billion of these funds will be set aside to double the number of U.S. Registered Apprenticeships within five years.
Scroll down to see the list of winners.
Additional Information and Examples of Today’s Grant Award Winners:
Creating Career Pathways to Upskill Americans for In-Demand Jobs Across the Country.
Grantees are partnering with employers to develop career pathways for individuals to build skills that will help them improve their wages and job quality. These programs will assist in getting millions of low-wage, low-skill Americans access to internships, apprenticeships, and job-relevant basic skills education and training in order to move up the career ladder into better-paying jobs that employers across the country are looking to fill.

Scale-up Southeast Louisiana for Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Jobs at Delgado Community College ($2.5M). Southeast Louisiana (SELA) will work with employers such as ExxonMobil, Laitram, U.S. Heritage Powersports, Lockheed Martin and Phillips6, Scale-Up SELA will fulfill the needs of business and industry in Southeastern Louisiana by offering high-skilled, high-wage, competency-based training programs that meet employer and industry needs. The project will focus on taking participants not ready for college-level academic work, including those without a high school diploma, and engage them in training that will teach them academic reading, writing and math skills in the context of real world applications in manufacturing and energy. Partner employers will contribute to program design, implementation, and continuous improvement; provide employment and work-based training opportunities; and resources such as equipment, facilities and instructors. The program expects to train 1,150 students over the next three years for jobs in welding, machining, electrical and industrial maintenance.

Maryland Cyber-Technology Job Pathways Consortium ($15M). Over 130,000 IT jobs are in Maryland--49% above the national average, with thousands of family-sustaining entry-level cyber security jobs that a job seeker can qualify for with a professional certificate or associate’s degree. Fourteen community colleges from across the state of Maryland are coming together with employer partners including IBM, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, Booz Allen, Medstar and a number of hospitals to develop training pathways for low-income workers with minimal prior education or experience in Information Technology or Cybersecurity. To increase the likelihood of participant fit and success, participants will get upfront assessments, career planning, and job search support. Students will also accelerate through a two-year degree that is aligned with NSA guidelines for Security & Information Assurance programs. Virtual internships will also be offered to all students to increase their interaction with employers. In the next three years, the program intends to graduate nearly 2,000 students and employer partners have already committed to interviewing qualified graduates.

New Aviation Maintenance Accelerated Job Training Program at Cape Cod Community College ($2.5B). The Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) will launch new accelerated pathways for jobs in the aviation industry through unique partnerships with 15 statewide and regional employers including the US Coast Guard, Camp Edwards Army National Guard, two industry associations, and the MA Department of Workforce Development. These partnerships will make CCCC one of only six community colleges in the nation and the only community college in the eastern New England region to offer accelerated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airframe and power plant (A&P) certification. The Massachusetts Credentials and Careers in Aviation (MCCA) program has worked with JetBlue, Delta, Cape Air, and Island Air, among others, to develop the airframe and power plant certificate modules. This approach will prepare unemployed and underemployed individuals in only 12 months instead of the traditional 24. Through hands-on learning and a guaranteed internship with an employer partner, students will be trained to become Aviation Maintenance Technicians, Avionics Technicians, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians. Due to strong partnerships with employers, an industry-driven curriculum, and an urgent need for employees with the required skills, job placement is projected at 85% of those completing at least one certificate. The CCCC is working closely with the state of Massachusetts to secure employer donations of engines and aircrafts. Student scholarships will also be provided by Cape Cod Pilot Association, the State Space Grant Consortium based at MIT through NASA grants.

In addition, the Department of Education is releasing a new report on the importance of building foundational skills in a job-specific context.

Department of Education Report on Transform Adult Learning through Work. The Department of Education is releasing a new report with recommendations to transform adult learning in the United States. After months of public engagement with a variety of stakeholders around the country, the recommendations for public-private partnership include strategies that engage employers to support upskilling of more entry-level workers while on the job, encourage the use of assessments and innovative learning tools to improve access to targeted career guidance for youth and adults, and promote better alignment and coordination of public and private programs so that youth and adults experience seamless services. The report highlights unique opportunities for implementing these recommendations as a result of the changed legislative environment made possible by the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in July 2014.

Training for High-Growth Information Technology and Cybersecurity Jobs.
25 grantees are developing new training programs for information technology and cybersecurity jobs. These jobs span all sectors of the economy, and non-IT industries currently employ two-thirds of private sector IT workers.

New Ivy Tech Computing and Informatics School in Indiana ($2.5M). Starting in fall 2014, Ivy Tech will launch a new School of Computing and Informatics, offering eight new IT degree programs with curriculum designed to meet employer needs. The statewide proposal will target all 92 counties of Indiana and will provide IT training for 13,913 participants, with at least 4,412 completing one or more credentials and 4,060 completers placed in jobs or advancing in employment during the grant period. Ivy Tech will pilot test a competency based, accelerated approach for selected IT courses and degrees. The launch of this school will help address the over 18,000 computer related job openings recorded in 2013. Complementing this effort, local employers are committing to review and recognize curricula, place qualified graduates in jobs, provide workplace exposure and capstone projects and provide internships and cooperative work experience.

Kentucky Consortia for Information Technology Job Pathways in Computer and Medical Fields ($10M). Six Kentucky community colleges, Hazard Community and Technical College (HCTC), Big Sandy CTC, Jefferson CTC, Somerset Community College, Southeast Kentucky CTC, and West Kentucky CTC, have formed a consortium to create a next generation expansion of Kentucky’s online, personalized competency-based learning system to serve more than 700 workers. This consortium will develop five new degrees in major information technology (IT) pathways in the computer and medical fields that include eleven stackable certificates, all of which will be developed in concert with regional and national employers. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation, a national industry association for Health Information Technology, as well as the Kentucky Workforce Development Cabinet, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will assist the EPIC Consortium in these efforts. The consortium will also implement already proven, evidence-based models from Per Scholas and Jobs for the Future’s Jobs to Career program in training low-skill individuals for IT jobs with strong job placement and retention rates and wage gains.

Texas Manufacturing and Electronics Technology Program forVeterans ($3.2M). The Veterans-Focused Engineering Technology Project (VFETP) will leverage Richland College’s existing programs in manufacturing and electronics technology, robust commitments from employers, and TAACCCT dollars to meet the needs of approximately veterans who need to re-skill to be competitive in the job market. The VFETO will offer certificates in supervisory control and data acquisition and electromechanical maintenance and will work with the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the International Society of Certified Electronic Technicians (ISCET) to offer credentials that have been requested by Richland College’s employer partners. The VFETP will also offer veterans and spouses the option to complete most core courses and some field specific courses online, including safety and technical algebra, in their last six months of service, and finish their AAS degrees within one year after discharge. Over 15 employers including Texas Instruments, Oncor, and Raytheon have already indicated that they will hire program completers and have also committed to supporting curricula development, offering internships, providing on-the-job training, and developing applied problems for students.

In addition, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report to the President outlining recommendations to expand opportunity for middle-skill workers through STEM education, job training and matching enabled by IT.

PCAST Recommendations to Use Technology for Targeting Job-Skills Training and Matching Talent to Jobs. Today, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report to the President outlining three recommendations to expand opportunity for middle-skill workers—people whose jobs require some postsecondary training but not a conventional college degree. PCAST identifies opportunities to provide faster, more effective tech-enabled training, to match workers to jobs and training based on their abilities, and to foster stronger connections between employers and training providers so that that curricula keep up with employers’ needs. PCAST recommends the federal government facilitate private sector leadership by: (1) bringing industry together with government to encourage activities such as standards-setting and approaches to facilitate information exchange across employers, workers, and training providers, (2) continuing to support the research and development of IT to facilitate assessment of skills and training needs, counseling about training and career options, and delivery of training that culminates in credentials that can be validated, and (3) for the Federal Government to lead by example as a major employer itself.

Pathways to Careers for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
The Department of Labor is also releasing $2 million in grants through the Pathways to Careers: Community College for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Project. These grants will be awarded to two prior TAACCCT grantees to develop, test, and evaluate new integrated education and career training strategies to help ensure that youth and young adults with disabilities acquire the skills, degrees, and credentials needed for high wage, high skill employment.

The Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC) Universal Pathways to Employment Project (UPEP) will expand its capacity and, ultimately that of other institutions to deliver integrated education and career training to students with disabilities by implementing model and research-based practices. The PSCC UPEP project will build upon the Guideposts for Success best practices and improve access to training for students with disabilities by braiding funding from three previous TAACCCT grants currently in place at PSCC: 1) RxTN, an online nursing and health care career focused program funded in Round II of TAACCCT; 2) Multi-State Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (M-SAMC), a program focused on the competencies needed for manufacturing line jobs funded in Round III of TAACCCT and 3) Southeastern Economic and Education Leadership Consortium (SEELC), a program which utilizes virtual training equipment funded in Round IV of TAACCCT.

The Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC) project will increase access and enrollment amount youth and young adults with disabilities in Career and Technical programs aligned with high-growth industries and occupations. The project will leverage the State University of New York T.E.A.M. Educational Pathways grant funded in Round II of TAACCCT, which offers employer-validated curriculum, fast-track developmental education, prior learning assessments, and work-based learning partnerships, to expand opportunities for students with disabilities. They will also strengthen the continuum of education and training with multiple "on- and off-ramps" by leveraging the networks, resources, and programs developed through the TAACCCT Advanced Manufacturing project, including the new Advanced Manufacturing Certificate, which was completed with active participation of employers and approved by New York State Education Department for launch in fall 2014.

Full List of TAACCCT Grant Recipients And Pathways to Career Grantees Announced Today

State

City

Recipient

Funding Amount

AK

Fairbanks

University of Alaska Fairbanks

$8,075,351.00

AL

Birmingham

Lawson State Community College

$10,000,000.00

AR

West Memphis

Mid-South Community College

$9,814,818.00

AZ

Coolidge

Central Arizona College/Pinal County Community College Dist.

$10,000,000.00

AZ

Tucson

Pima County Community College District

$2,499,997.00

CA

Rancho Cucamonga

Chaffey Community College

$14,980,284.00

CT

Manchester

Manchester Community College

$15,000,000.00

FL

Miami

Miami Dade College Kendall Campus

$9,977,296.00

FL

Orlando

Valencia College

$2,499,902.00

GA

Thomasville

Southwest Georgia Technical College

$2,322,718.00

HI

Honolulu

University of Hawaii

$9,999,870.00

IA

Waterloo

Hawkeye Community College

$15,000,000.00

ID

Coeur d Alene

North Idaho College

$6,438,050.00

IL

Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

$9,956,011.00

IN

Indianapolis

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana

$2,496,003.00

KS

Overland Park

Johnson County Community College

$2,496,764.00

KS

Topeka

Washburn University of Topeka

$11,997,957.00

KY

Hazard

Hazard Community and Technical College

$10,000,000.00

LA

Bossier City

Bossier Parish Community College

$2,499,325.00

LA

New Orleans

Delgado Community College

$2,498,457.00

MA

West Barnstable

Cape Cod Community College

$2,471,478.00

MA

Brockton

Massasoit Community College

$20,000,000.00

MD

Rockville

Montgomery College

$14,957,899.00

ME

Fairfield

Kennebec Valley Community College

$2,499,977.00

MI

Alpena

Alpena Community College

$2,500,000.00

MI

Detroit

Wayne County Community College District

$2,499,758.00

MN

Fergus Falls

Minnesota State Community and Technical College

$2,473,227.00

MN

North Mankato

South Central College

$14,999,982.00

MO

Kansas City

The Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas City MO

$19,724,404.00

MS

Decatur

East Central Community College

$2,499,950.00

MT

Missoula

Missoula College University of Montana

$14,998,597.00

NC

Charlotte

Central Piedmont Community College

$2,499,378.00

ND

Bismarck

Bismarck State College

$9,926,410.00

NE

Grand Island

Central Community College

$2,499,779.00

NE

Omaha

Metropolitan Community College

$2,491,960.00

NH

Concord

NHTI-Concord`s Community College

$2,500,000.00

NJ

Paramus

Bergen Community College

$15,000,000.00

NM

Santa Fe

Santa Fe Community College

$14,999,863.00

NV

Carson City

Board of Regents NSHE - Western Nevada College

$9,921,831.00

NY

Syracuse

Onondaga Community College

$2,499,477.00

OH

Cincinnati

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

$2,498,888.00

OH

Springfield

Clark State Community College

$2,497,885.00

OH

Steubenville

Eastern Gateway Community College

$2,493,616.00

OH

Elyria

Lorain County Community College

$15,000,000.00

OH

Archbold

Northwest State Community College

$2,499,588.00

OK

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Community College

$2,497,340.00

PA

Bethlehem

Northampton County Area Community College

$10,000,000.00

PR

San Juan

Universidad Metropolitana

$2,499,638.00

RI

East Greenwich

New England Institute of Technology

$2,500,000.00

SC

Graniteville

Aiken Technical College

$2,455,839.00

SD

Watertown

Lake Area Technical Institute

$2,500,000.00

SD

Mitchell

Mitchell Technical Institute

$2,478,232.00

TN

Memphis

Southwest Tennessee Community College

$2,387,247.00

TX

Dallas

Richland College

$3,250,000.00

TX

Waco

Texas State Technical College - Waco

$2,378,924.00

UT

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake Community College

$2,500,000.00

VA

Danville

Danville Community College

$2,500,000.00

VA

Middletown

Lord Fairfax Community College

$3,250,000.00

VA

Cedar Bluff

Southwest Virginia Community College

$2,500,000.00

VA

Hampton

Thomas Nelson Community College

$2,476,840.00

VA

Petersburg

Virginia State University

$3,249,817.00

WA

Centralia

Centralia College

$9,994,854.00

WA

Lakewood

Clover Park Technical College

$2,499,973.00

WI

Eau Claire

Chippewa Valley Technical College

$19,999,991.00

WV

Huntington

Mountwest Community & Technical College

$9,461,288.00

WY

Casper

Casper College

$2,499,917.00

Source: www.whitehouse.gov