WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement applauding the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for awarding the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) a grant totaling $923,893 to continue their Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program to support manufacturing businesses and employees in Washoe County, Nevada.
“I am thrilled NIST has renewed the funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Nevada. COVID-19 has taken a toll on our state and our workforce. Grants like this one will help ensure Nevada’s manufacturing industry continues to grow and stay competitive through education and technological advancements,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “Before the onset of the pandemic, Nevada was among the fastest-growing states for advanced manufacturing, and this MEP grant will foster partnerships between small and medium-sized businesses, and bring organizations together to enhance and strengthen this key state industry.”
BACKGROUND: The Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) is a national network with hundreds of specialists who understand the needs of America’s small manufacturers. Since 1988, MEP has worked with nearly 80,000 manufacturers, leading to $88 billion in sales and $14 billion in cost savings, and it has helped create more than 729,000 jobs.
In April 2020, Rosen joined several of her colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. The final bill, which Senator Rosen for and which was signed into law in December 2020, including a $4 million increase for MEP over the previous year’s allocation.
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