DOL Announces $150M Ready to Work Partnership Grant Competition

The Department of Labor announced it will commit up to $150 million to the Ready to Work Partnership grant competition — a program that supports and scales innovative  public-private partnerships to build a pipeline of talented U.S. workers in middle- and high-skill jobs. Up to 30 grants ranging from $3 million to $10 million will be awarded for on-the-job training, paid work experience, paid internships and Registered Apprenticeships to provide employers the opportunity to train workers in the specific skill sets necessary for several target industries including manufacturing. Programs must recruit American citizens who have been out of work for six months or longer and will incorporate a strong up-front assessment, allowing for a customization of services and training to facilitate re-employment. Read the announcement…

To be considered for funding, the lead applicant must be a nonprofit organization with at least three employers or a regional industry association actively engaged in the project. The grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Applications are due June 19.  Additional information is available at: http://www.doleta.gov/readytowork/.