El Paso Standard

El Paso, Texas—The City of El Paso has been selected as one of 22 finalists out of a nationwide pool of more than 500 applicants for Phase 1 of the Economic Development Administration’s FY23 of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete), which aims to transform communities by connecting workers to quality jobs.

As part of Phase 1, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) approved a comprehensive regional strategy (EDA Recompete Plan) for El Paso to address high prime-age (25-54) underemployment by:

• Strengthening partnerships with economic, education, healthcare, information technology, and community entities and businesses

• Engaging underserved communities through community partners

• Implementing workforce and business development programs during Phase II of Recompete

“We are grateful to be given the opportunity to further advance our community’s transformation to make us globally competitive while keeping our talent in El Paso by creating high-paying jobs,” said Mayor Oscar Leeser. “This is only the first step in strengthening our long-term economic growth; but more importantly we know our community and our people deserve the opportunity to find good-paying jobs that transform their family’s trajectory and revolutionizes our community.”

“The City of El Paso is thrilled to be named a finalist for this highly competitive grant. This achievement underscores our commitment to driving economic development and creating positive change in El Paso,” said Interim City Manager Cary Westin. “We look forward to being successful in the next phase and continuing our impactful journey toward revitalizing communities and fostering sustainable growth.”

As a Phase 1 finalist, the City has been invited to compete in Phase 2 of the Department of Commerce’s Recompete Pilot Program. Successful Phase 2 awardees will be eligible for investments ranging from $20-$50 million that can be used to support a wide range of implementation activities across workforce development, business and entrepreneur development, infrastructure, and additional planning, predevelopment, or technical assistance.

About Recomplete

Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Recompete Pilot Program is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

The program will invest $200 million in economic and workforce development projects that connect workers to good jobs in geographically diverse and persistently distressed communities across the country.

Together, the 22 Phase 1 Finalists represent nearly $800 million in preliminary funding requests that will be refined in their Phase 2 applications.

Read the EDA's announcement here.

Read El Paso’s grant application here.

About the City of El Paso

The City of El Paso is the largest metro area along the Texas-Mexico border which boasts a best-in-class, business-friendly operating environment while also offering a great living experience. Our region represents one of the largest manufacturing centers in North America and is recognized as globally competitive. This is largely due to El Paso's unique quality of possessing the largest bilingual and bi-cultural workforce in the Western Hemisphere. Our area creates an intersection of possibilities for economic development. As the sixth-largest city in Texas, El Paso is a top 20% U.S. performing economy and continues to experience positive economic growth by attracting new businesses and helping existing companies to grow. The City of El Paso is a reflective and future-focused organization that aims to create new employment opportunities in 21st-century industries, maintain a great quality of life, and facilitate business growth at the local and international levels.

Original source can be found here.