During the first 100 days of this year, we embarked on a small business listening tour around the country. As part of #LetsGrow campaign, we visited entrepreneurs in their hometowns, sat down with small business owners during their visits to Washington, and listened to job creators during roundtables and congressional hearings to hear what they had to say.
Our objective is simple: we want to find out what barriers are holding back today’s small businesses from growth and what we can do to help send Washington a message. While we heard about an array of issues, one core message kept shining through: growing the economy must be our nation’s top priority.
Along the way, we heard from more than 100 small business owners from all across the country. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing their voices in this postcard series. Click on the postcards below to see what five Main Street business owners had to say to Washington about the importance of investing in and improving our nation’s infrastructure, including but not limited to our transportation systems.
https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/dear-washington-messages-main-street-infrastructure
Celebrate, America and Canada, Your National Holidays and the Spirit of Trade
“Oh, say can you see” the benefits of trade. “O, Canada,” just look south. (Or the United States can glance north.) National anthem mash-ups aside, it is worth noting that the United States and Canada share much more than just the world’s longest and most productive border. They share core values and a love of freedom, a commitment to democracy, a level playing field and open markets. And this time of year, they are both celebrating.
https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/celebrate-america-and-canada-your-national-holidays-and-the-spirit-trade-0
Here’s How to Modernize NAFTA
As one of the very last to speak in a three-day, 143-witness hearing on NAFTA modernization objectives organized by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, my comments on Thursday’s closing panel will be brief. My appearance will come well after the point when everything has been said—but not quite everyone has said it.
https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/here-s-how-modernize-nafta
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF $15M IN GRANTS TO IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS, YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a funding opportunity of approximately $15 million in grants to state workforce agencies to develop flexible and innovative strategies to increase the participation of people with disabilities in federally funded employment and training programs.
The grants available are the eighth round of funding in the Disability Employment Initiative, a joint program of the department’s Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy. The DEI intends to assist state workforce agencies with strengthening their customer service to adults and youth with disabilities through improved coordination with employers and workforce system partners.
The funds are intended to enhance grantees’ ability to strategically use a career pathways framework to improve training and employment opportunities and outcomes for individuals with disabilities in employment and training services funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, in partnership with vocational rehabilitation, community colleges and other education entities, human service agencies and business partners. The projects will improve coordination between the public workforce system and industry to help businesses meet their workforce needs by recruiting, hiring and training individuals with disabilities.
Grantees will incorporate the following six career pathway elements into their projects:
Building cross-agency partnerships and clarifying roles.
Identifying industry sectors and engaging employers.
Designing education and training programs.
Identifying funding needs and sources.
Aligning policies and programs.
Measuring systems change and performance.
The department anticipates awarding approximately eight grants ranging from $1.5 to $2.5 million to be spent over a 36-month period. Funding will be provided to at least one project for each of the following two target populations: adults with disabilities (ages 18 and older) and youth with disabilities (ages 14-24).
State workforce agencies interested in applying for this funding should visit http://www.grants.gov.
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20170703
US LABOR DEPARTMENT TO PUBLISH REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON FIDUCIARY RULE
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has published a Request for Information related to the fiduciary rule. The RFI is an opportunity for the public to provide data and information that may be used to revise the rule and associated exemptions.
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20170629
More business and finance news on page 2
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