dept of labor

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced the second phase of the ApprenticeshipUSA program – a $175 million national effort intended to help states and regions provide pathways for workers to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for good-paying jobs in fields such as information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, building trades, cybersecurity, and business services.  In this second phase, ETA will commit up to $50.5 million for ApprenticeshipUSA State Expansion Grants to help states:

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released a federal funding opportunity (FFO) for the America’s Promise Job Driven Grant Program. Announced in May by Vice President Joe Biden, ETA will make up to 40 grants from approximately $100 million in available funding to provide individuals the opportunity to get high-quality, tuition-free education and training that leads to in-demand and industry-recognized credentials and degrees. The grants also will help support the development and growth of regional partnerships between workforce agencies, education, training providers and employers in a variety of industries such as information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services and educational services. Applications are due August 25. Read the FFO…

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will commit up to $90 million for the newly established ApprenticeshipUSA initiative with the intent to double and diversify the number of apprenticeships by 2018. Through the ApprenticeshipUSA program, the DOL will coordinate efforts with industry and education leaders, nonprofits, and local governments to accelerate and expand state apprenticeship strategies and grow the use of apprenticeships in new industries. Over $60 million in grants will help support state strategies that expand and diversify apprenticeship opportunities with the remaining $30 million targeted at catalyzing industry partnerships in fast-growing and high-tech industries. Through these high-tech apprenticeship programs, the DOL intends to support organizations focused on increasing diversity and to launch national efforts to make it easier for employers to start and for workers to find apprenticeship opportunities. Key industries include health care, IT and advanced manufacturing.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced approximately $100 million in grant funds for the TechHire partnership grant program. The ETA anticipates that it will make up to 35 grants to support  pilot and scale public-private workforce development partnerships that can rapidly train workers for and connect them to well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries such as Information Technology (IT), healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and broadband.  In addition to targeting H-1B industries, TechHire partnership grants may be used to support job creation in industries which are in-demand and/or high growth to the partnership’s service region.  Applications are due March 11, 2016. Read the announcement…

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will award $450 million in job-driven training grants to nearly 270 community colleges across the country via the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program, which is co-administered by the DOL and Department of Education. The awards are to support community college-industry partnerships that will expand and improve education and career training programs offered at community colleges across the country. The intent of the program is to align community college degree programs with the needs of regional industry and help job seekers get the skills they need for in-demand jobs in industries such as information technology, cyber security, health care, energy, and advanced manufacturing. This round of TAACCCT grants will allow the 270 awardees to partner with more than 400 employers from across the county. Read the press release…

The Department of Labor (DOL) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced programs that will provide financial support to help states and regions assist key industries and small businesses compete in the global economy through the development of regionally focused workforce development and export assistance programs.