Twenty communities have joined a program launched by President Barack Obama to train people for technological jobs that employers have struggled to fill.

Ryan Burke, special assistant to the President for economic policy, wrote in a blog post published Friday on the White House website the TechHire program has grown to more than 70 communities that helped employ almost 4,000 people in the last two years.

“With nearly 600,000 open technology jobs across all industries and regions in the country today, we need to continue spreading these models to meet the demand,” said Burke.

The White House said TechHire looks to address employers’ need for technology talent with the use of emerging models to help train people with limited ingoing technology skills and prepare them for work within months.

Megan Smith, U.S. chief technology officer, said the expansion of TechHire to over 70 cities, states and rural areas as well as the growth of the TechHire Action Network can help capitalize on opportunities.

Employers, local governments, training programs and workforce development organizations in communities have also utilized strategies such as a broader opportunity circle, skill-based hiring and a “pay for success” training model.

New communities that joined TechHire include:

• Alachua and Bradford Counties, Florida
• Anchorage, Alabama
• Arizona
• Bellevue, Washington
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Carroll County, Maryland
• Central Florida
• El Paso County, Texas
• Howard County, Maryland
• Mobile, Alabama
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Omaha, Nebraska
• Pensacola, Florida
• Puerto Rico
• Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico
• Stamford, Connecticut
• Tampa Bay, Florida
• Toledo, Ohio
• Trenton City, New Jersey
• Tulsa, Oklahoma

Congress has granted final authorization to the General Services Administration to spend nearly $136 million for the construction of two federal courthouses in Savannah, Georgia and Greenville, Mississippi.

GSA said Thursday the two projects have been included as priorities for the federal judiciary as part of the fiscal year 2016 omnibus spending bill.

Congress approved $40.1 million in funds for site acquisition, design and construction of a 62,000-square-foot U.S. Courthouse in Mississippi.

The courthouse is scheduled to be completed by 2021 and will feature two courtrooms with three judicial chambers for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.

GSA added the building will house the U.S. Marshals Service, the Office of the U.S. Attorneys, the Office of the Federal Public Defender and the U.S. Probation Services Office.

Congress also authorized $95.5 million in funds to finance the design and construction of a 46,000-square-foot U.S. Courthouse Annex in Georgia as well as the repair and alteration of the Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse.

The Savannah courthouse will have four courtrooms and five chambers for five judges and accommodate other tenants such as the U.S. Marshals Service and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys, GSA said.

The agency has begun to seek potential contractors to design and build the Annex through a request for qualifications notice on FedBizzOpps that will close on Dec. 23.

GSA noted the Savannah project is scheduled for completion by 2022.

The Senate has passed a bill that seeks to boost accountability and best practices in project and program management across the federal government.

The Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015 was unanimously approved by the Senate for the second time and will be sent to President Barack Obama for his signature, the Project Management Institute said Thursday.

The nonprofit added PMIAA would require agencies to establish a career path for program managers in the federal government; develop a standards-based program management policy; and assign a senior agency executive to oversee program management policy and strategy.

The bill also calls for the creation of an interagency council that would facilitate the sharing of knowledge on program management approaches.

PMI said reforms outlined in the legislation align with the findings of the organization’s research that shows investments in program management talent and standards can optimize outcomes, accountability and efficiency.

The institute’s Pulse of the Profession report found that 64 percent of government initiatives meet goals and business intent and that public sector organizations waste $101 million for every $1 billion spent on projects and programs.