On the recordMay 11, 2010
I rise today to introduce the NIST GREEN JOBS Act, to provide NIST Grants for green jobs, improved energy efficiency, and small business growth. It has never been easy to be an entrepreneur or small business owner, and this is especially true since the recession began 2 years ago. Many small firms in the manufacturing sector, in particular, have struggled during a time of tight credit markets and reduced consumer demand. In the last 2 years, the manufacturing sector lost over 2 million jobs. Twenty years ago, when Americans worried about how our small companies would compete globally in the face of stiff competition from Asia, Congress established the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP, Program to assist small manufacturers. The MEP program has since helped thousands of small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the nation increase their profit-lines and streamline their business processes through lean manufacturing techniques. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, is the Federal steward for the nationwide MEP network, which has MEP Centers in all 50 States.
