Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Increase Access to Good-Paying Jobs in Rochester, New York

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, edamedia@eda.gov

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that Recompete Rochester in Rochester, New York, was awarded a Recompete Strategy Development Grant to further support connecting traditionally underserved residents in Black and Hispanic communities with access to good jobs, public services, and resources.

Recompete Rochester, led by RochesterWorks, Inc., will leverage the grant to increase local coordination and planning activities to create and connect workers to good jobs in geographically diverse and persistently distressed communities. The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average, with the goal to close this gap through flexible, locally driven investments.

 “Recompete helps fulfill President Biden’s promise that no community in America will be left behind as we continue to grow our nation’s economy and invest in American workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These Recompete grant recipients have presented a wide range of inspiring solutions to create jobs, develop long-term economic growth, and realize the full potential in communities that for too long have been overlooked or counted out.”

“As President Biden has said many times: we all just want a fair shot. Recompete helps make it possible for more Americans in more communities to find a good-paying job that puts them and their families on the path toward success. By equitably investing in new job creation opportunities across America, we can help fulfil our promise that no American, and no community, is ever left behind,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.

“These outstanding Recompete Strategy Development Grant recipients exemplify the focused employment and job creation strategies required to address the unique, long-standing needs of communities,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “We look forward to supporting these communities as they work to reduce the employment gap and establish models for long-term economic growth we can apply across America.”

“Recompete Rochester is creating a path to long-term, equitable growth in one of our state’s major cities, and this federal funding will help them connect even more New Yorkers to jobs, public services, and resources,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “I thank the Biden administration and New York’s congressional delegation for securing this funding and for their partnership in our mission to ensuring that every New Yorker benefits from the economic growth in our state.”

“I created the Recompete program in my CHIPS & Science Law because I knew — if given a boost by strategic federal investment — cities like Rochester were ready to develop new ways to connect underserved residents to jobs and build a better more equitable future for our communities. This $450,000 grant puts Rochester in a select group, which the EDA believes is ready to create a national model for better access to good-paying jobs,” said New York Senator Chuck Schumer. “In tandem with the Tech Hub designation I helped secured for Rochester, also from my CHIPS & Science Law, Rochester is writing a new chapter for Upstate by building our nation’s future in cutting-edge industries. This strategy grant will help plan and lay the foundation to ensure that as we create good-paying jobs, communities that for too long have been overlooked get the support they need to help lead that transformation.”

“Workforce development is the key to unlocking economic prosperity for City of Rochester residents in a changing global economy,” said Representative Joe Morelle (NY-25). “I’m grateful to EDA for investing in Rochester and recognizing our plan to address the critical employment gap by creating jobs through their RECOMPETE Pilot Program.”

For a full list of Recompete Finalists, visit eda.gov/recompete.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.