According to a recent news release from the US Department of Defense, $5 million was rewarded to the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). The grant will help the state undertake a $11,005,000 project to enhance the capabilities of the regional defense industrial ecosystem, with a focus on carbon composites and advanced materials. The project will include several initiatives to strengthen workforce development across the Utah Defense Manufacturing Community, including developing defense manufacturing apprenticeship programs and retraining workers displaced as a result of COVID-19.
This award follows a competitive selection process culminating in Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord’s designation of six Defense Manufacturing Communities on August 16, 2020, and for the Office of Economic Adjustment to invite grant applications to strengthen the national security innovation base.