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A new round of funding that will bring a streetcar project to the area could create several professional engineering jobs in Dallas, as well as much-needed construction jobs and other permanent positions.

The City of Dallas recently received a $23 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build a starter streetcar line from downtown to Oak Cliff. The funding the city is slated to receive is only about half of what officials originally requested.

Under the original proposal for a streetcar project, Dallas asked for $96 million that it would split with Fort Worth. However, as the grant total was reduced, Fort Worth was completely dropped from the plan.

According to an article by The Dallas Morning News, the project will not begin anytime soon, as it takes three years to even purchase streetcars. In addition, Dallas still has to evaluate the city's proposed route.

The grant will pay for a starter loop that is expected to reach Oak Cliff, but work will continue on a larger streetcar initiative that would cost $80 million and complement a second light-rail line downtown when it opens in 2016.

The starter loop will begin at Harwood and Main streets, then run along Main Street to Houston Street, where it will connect with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority and Trinity Railway Express lines at Union Station.

The streetcar line also would stop at the Dallas Convention Center, Trinity River park, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Oak Cliff Gateway and several residential areas.

Aside from the streetcar grant, the North Texas Tollway Authority also received a separate $20 million grant to perform work on State Highway 161. The two grants slated for Texas were part of 51 total grants given out.

Funding for the grants will come from a $1.5 billion special grant competition that brought in requests for more than $59 billion in funding.

Labels: Professional engineering jobs in Dallas

Those seeking Los Angeles nursing jobs should consider working as a licensed vocational nurse.

The healthcare industry throughout the nation as a whole has remained stable despite the economic recession. Although the Los Angeles area has lost some jobs on a monthly basis, employment has increased over the year.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area's education and health services industry employed 520,200 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 520,600 workers during November, but a 1.9 percent increase from December 2008.

Nursing is one of the most popular and most needed professions in the healthcare industry. Some areas throughout the country are having trouble finding enough qualified workers to fill open nursing positions. Along with registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses are among the most popular nursing occupations.

Licensed vocational nurses care for ill, injured, convalescent or disabled persons in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes and similar institutions. Most LVNs work under the supervision of a registered nurse.

In order to become an LVN, you must first obtain the proper licensing. In addition, most employers prefer candidates with postsecondary vocational training. During Q1 2009, LVNs in the Los Angeles area earned an average salary of $22.92 per hour, according to the California Employment Development Department.

Positions for LVNs are expected to grow during the near future. Employment in Los Angeles County is expected to increase from 17,940 workers during 2006 to 20,180 by 2016, a growth rate of 12.5 percent.

Throughout California, the top industries employing LVNs are:

• General medical and surgical hospitals at 28.4 percent
• Nursing care facilities at 21.9 percent
• Home healthcare services at 13.1 percent
• Employment services at 10.1 percent
• Offices of physicians at 6.5 percent
• Community care facilities for the elderly at 3 percent
• Outpatient care centers at 2.4 percent
• Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals at 1.3 percent

Labels: Los Angeles nursing jobs

One company's plan to relocate its headquarters to the city will help create nearly 100 new job openings in Tampa Florida.

The Oettinger Davidoff Group recently announced that it plans to move its current U.S. headquarters from Stamford, Conn., to an existing facility in Tampa, which will result in the creation of 90 new jobs and $10 million in capital investments.

According to the Pinellas County Economic Development, those positions will pay 150 percent of the average annual salary in the area. Officials in the county competed with counterparts in South Carolina for the project.

Davidoff, which is based in Switzerland, makes tobacco products and is known for its array of cigars. The company's new headquarters will provide warehouse and distribution to customers throughout the country.

Florida's target industry program will provide Davidoff with tax refunds for the new jobs it creates. The company also will receive funding from the Governor's Quick Action Closing Fund, including $240,000 from the state, $20,000 from the county and up to $64,000 in tax and fee reductions from Pinellas Park.

The additional jobs will be welcome in the Tampa area, which has continued to see a decrease in employment over the year.

During December 2009, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area's unemployment rate remained at 12.4 percent, following an increase from 11.8 percent during November. The area's rate is higher than the national unemployment rate at the time of 10 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 1,163,100 workers during December, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,159,800 workers during November, but a 4.2 percent decrease from December 2008.

Labels: Job openings in Tampa Florida

There are plenty of options for those considering Nashville government jobs.

The Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area's government industry employed 104,700 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 104,600 workers during November and a .1 percent increase from December 2008.

The City of Nashville became tied with Davidson County during the 1960s in an attempt to avoid urban sprawl by dubbing itself the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. The government system offers many services, including police, fire, electricity, water and sewage treatment.

According to Wikipedia, the area's government is split into two districts: the "urban services district," which governs the boundaries of the former City of Nashville as they were set in 1963, and the "general services district," which includes the remainder of Davidson County.

There are seven smaller municipalities within the city and county government. Those municipalities use a two-tier system of government, with the smaller municipalities responsible for providing police services and the metro government responsible for providing other services.

Nashville itself is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor and Metropolitan County Council, which is made up of 40 members. Karl Dean currently serves as the city's mayor, while Diane Neighbors serves as the vice-mayor and president of the council.

The council serves as the legislative body of government for the city and county, with five members elected at large and 35 members elected to represent individual districts.

Although local elections are officially considered nonpartisan, the majority of the city's elected officials are Democrats. As far as state government, Democrats currently hold the majority of Nashville's state House of Representatives districts and state Senate districts.

When it comes to federal government, Nashville is split between two congressional districts, with most of the city located in the 5th District.

Democratic favoritism is no less prominent at the federal level, with only two instances of a Republican presidential candidate carrying the area. The city often favors Democratic nominees, despite the fact that the State of Tennessee as a whole often votes in favor of Republicans.

Labels: Nashville government jobs