White House Announces Rural Economy Boosts

Obama Administration officials have announced three significant actions to expand the government’s purchase of biobased products, promote regional rural job creation and develop a rural healthcare workforce. In a Presidential Memorandum, Mr. Obama directed the Federal Government to take decisive steps to dramatically increase the purchase of biobased products over the next two years. The Memorandum will also result in a 50 percent increase in the number of new products that are designated as biobased.

The Rural Jobs Accelerator was also announced. This program is a national competition that will provide about 15-million dollars for projects that promote innovation-fueled regional job creation. And the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor signed a memorandum of understanding to connect community colleges and technical colleges that support rural communities with the materials and resources they need to support the training of Health Information Technology professionals that work in rural hospitals and clinics.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who chairs the White House Rural Council, says – the actions we are taking will bring new economic investments to our rural communities, to ensure the people who live in these towns have a better, brighter future.