 NEWS
New program to help laid-off rural workers start businesses
A new program becomes available this week to help laid-off rural workers start their own small businesses. The program is offered as part of a U.S. Department of Labor demonstration called Project GATE, or Growing America Through Entrepreneurship. It targets dislocated workers from rural counties for a variety of assistance directly related to starting and running a business. In North Carolina, Project GATE is being offered as a cooperative venture of the N.C. Department of Commerce, the N.C. Community College System – Small Business Center Network, the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, North Carolina REAL Enterprises, local JobLink Career Centers and the Rural Center. Read more.
Video conference next week on federal broadband funds
The e-NC Authority will hold a videoconference April 20 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to discuss funds for broadband deployment available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Interested individuals may attend the event onsite at the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center in Raleigh or at one of nine videoconference sites around the state. A webinar link also will be available. Speakers will include Jane Smith Patterson and Deborah Watts of the e-NC Authority; Dempsey Benton, director of the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery and Investment; and Hunter Goosmann, general manager of ERC Broadband. Register to attend either onsite or at the video conference sites through the e-NC calendar or by calling Carol Torian at (919) 250-4314, ext. 4260. The webinar link will go live on the day of the event.
New loan fund for small businesses in the works
Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton announced plans April 14 to create the Small Business Assistance Fund, a low-interest, revolving loan fund to help small businesses struggling to obtain capital. Modeled after a natural disaster loan program, the fund will provide loans to businesses with fewer than 100 employees or annual receipts of less than $1 million. Golden LEAF has committed its support for the fund, and the Senate included $3 million for the fund in its version of the state budget. Read more.
Youth employment programs being developed
Local workforce development boards across the state are developing summer youth employment programs with funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The programs will create job opportunities for disadvantaged youths (ages 14 to 24) and opportunities for private or public employers to hire youths whose wages would be covered through the program. Prospective employers must provide supervision and age-appropriate job opportunities. Details of the programs will vary. Application deadlines may be near for some regions. Read more here or contact your local workforce development board. MEETINGS AND EVENTS April 25-June 6: Entrepreneurship for artists
The United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro is sponsoring a series of workshops for regional artists and creative workers on developing entrepreneurial skills. The sessions will be held on three Saturdays, April 25, May 2 and June 6, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Greensboro. The registration deadline is April 22. Read more.
May 18-20: Local Climate Leadership Summit
This conference is designed to help city and county officials learn how federal economic recovery programs can help communities create jobs, improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases. It’s sponsored by Climate Communities and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability-USA. The conference will be held May 18-20 in Washington, D.C. Read more.
June 22: Connecting small businesses with contract opportunities
Small business owners can learn about competitive contract opportunities available through federal agencies June 22. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Craven Community College in New Bern. The event is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. To attend, register by June 17.
Oct. 13-14: Financial Education and Asset Building Conference
The North Carolina IDA Collaborative will hold its third annual conference Oct. 13-14 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center in Durham. Proposals for conference presentations are now being accepted. For more details, watch the organization’s website. The collaborative is a statewide organization that promotes asset-building for low-income families through individual development accounts and other strategies.
 REPORTS AND RESEARCH
Health access report released
In North Carolina, the uninsured are four times more likely than people with health insurance to skip necessary medical care, according to a report released in March by the N.C. Institute of Medicine. The report, prepared at the request of the N.C. General Assembly, is titled Expanding Access to Health Carolina in North Carolina: A Report of the NCIOM Health Access Study Group. It details the problem of the state’s growing numbers of uninsured, describes innovative initiatives for providing health care and explores options for broadening access to health care. The institute also has released an interim report addressing the prevention of chronic disease and other preventable conditions: Prevention for the Health of North Carolina. Both reports may be downloaded from the institute’s website.  FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Rural Health Care Initiative under way
The Rural Center is accepting applications for a new, model grants program. The Rural Health Care Initiative is designed to spur economic activity and job creation by assisting in the construction and/or renovation of rural health care facilities. Grants of up to $480,000 will help local governments build or renovate health care facilities in partnership with private or nonprofit health-care agencies. The initiative will accept applications through June 1 for awards to be announced in late August. The program guidelines and application are available online.
Workforce training grants available
The Golden LEAF Foundation is accepting grant applications for short-term, non-degree workforce development projects providing vocational or technical training. Projects should create trained workers eligible for immediate placement in specified, permanent, full-time jobs requiring these new stills. Awards will target employment opportunities in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities. April 30 is the application deadline for the first grant round. Read more.
FEMA offers grants for fire departments
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is accepting applications for its Assistance to Firefighters Grants through May 20. The grants are offered to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated medical services organizations. Other FEMA grant programs also will have deadlines soon, including Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants and Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. Read more.
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