Important Message to

Colorado Photonics Community

New Federal Innovation Programs Announced     

New Federal Competitions for Manufacturing Innovation Hubs and American Apprenticeship Grants Announced

• Announcing More Than $290 Million in Public-Private Investment Through Two New Manufacturing Innovation Hub Competitions:
  New competitions announced for two manufacturing innovation hubs: one in smart manufacturing at the Department of Energy and one in flexible hybrid electronics at the Department of Defense. Each institute will receive $70 million or more of federal investment to be matched by at least $70 million from the private sector for a total of more than $290 million in new investment. Manufacturing institutes serve as a regional hub, bridging the gap between applied research and product development by bringing together companies, universities and other academic and training institutions, and Federal agencies to co-invest in key technology areas that encourage investment and production in the U.S. This type of "teaching factory" provides a unique opportunity for education and training of students and workers at all levels, while providing the shared assets to help small manufacturers and other companies access the cutting-edge capabilities and equipment to design, test, and pilot new products and manufacturing processes.

• Launching the $100 Million American Apprenticeship Grants Competition: The Department of Labor is opening a competition to spur partnerships between employers, labor, training providers, and local governments to expand apprenticeships into high-growth fields like advanced manufacturing and healthcare and scale models that work. Apprenticeships are a proven path to the middle-class, as 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs with an average starting wage of over $50,000.

More information

CPIA thanks S.P.I.E. for alerting the Colorado photonics community to these opportunities.