Current Grant Funding Opportunities 

Critical Sector Job Quality Grants - FOA-ETA-23-13

The purpose of this demonstration program is to support transformative efforts to improve job quality and availability of good jobs, particularly for the benefit of historically marginalized populations and communities that have experienced barriers to employment in good jobs. The primary focus of these demonstration grants is expanding job quality in the care, climate resiliency and clean energy transition, and hospitality sectors. These demonstration grants will support industry-led, worker-centered sector strategies built through labor-management partnerships aimed at improving job quality in key sectors. These partnerships will address equity, job quality, and worker voice as they design training models and train workers for family-supporting jobs. High-quality jobs, for the purposes of this grant program, include those that offer family-sustaining wages and benefits, have predictable hours and schedules, are filled through transparent and nondiscriminatory hiring and promotion practices, offer clear paths for advancement, always prioritize worker health and safety, and include workers’ voices in the workplace. Projects under this announcement will fund both short-term capacity-building planning grants and longer-term implementation grants. This funding is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) sec. 169(c) and appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103, Div. H) for carrying out Demonstration and Pilot projects related to the employment and training needs of dislocated workers, other adults, or youth. Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) may be emailed to DOL-ETA-DWG@dol.gov. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.

Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 5: A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions - FOA-ETA-23-07

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $44,200,000 in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for the fifth round of Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative demonstration grants. The WORC Initiative provides grant funds to enable impacted communities to develop local and regional workforce development solutions aligned with existing economic development strategies and community partnerships to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality. Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) may be emailed to DOL-ETA-DWG@dol.gov. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.

Workforce Data Quality Initiative - WDQI Round 9 - FOA-ETA-23-05

The purpose of this program is to support the development or expansion of state workforce longitudinal administrative databases. Collecting and analyzing longitudinal data can provide a comprehensive picture of whether education programs lead to employment in related fields, whether jobseekers are obtaining training-related employment, and the impact of training on workers’ earnings throughout their careers. Through such deep dive analyses, states can identify service delivery strategies that improve employment opportunities, as well as demonstrate the benefits of education and workforce programs on employment outcomes. Data linkages can help state and local leaders identify effective pathways through education and training services that lead to success in the workforce and can provide individuals with information that helps them make informed choices about their education and career(s).

  • Issue Date: April 10, 2023
    Closing date: May 10, 2023

            Full Announcement (pdf format)

 

DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program- FOA-ETA-23-31

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. Applications are due July 7, 2023. 

The purpose of the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program is to fund public-private partnerships to develop, implement, and scale worker-centered sector strategy training programs that train and prepare the skilled workforce needed to meet the demands of the sizeable infrastructure investments made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To maximize the impact of the BIL investment, and other investments such as the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, this grant program will train job seekers in advanced manufacturing; information technology; and professional, scientific, and technical services occupations that support renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors. To achieve the goals of the FOA, applicants are required to propose grant projects that address one of the following two training tracks. Both tracks are expected to serve historically marginalized and underserved populations and communities.

a.    Development Track: Developing and Implementing Local/Regional Worker-Centered Sector Strategy Programs
The goal of the Development Track is to establish local and regional partnerships that will foster the implementation of an effective, worker-centered sector training program in one or more infrastructure-related sectors.
b.    Scaling Track: Scaling Effective Worker-Centered Sector Strategy Programs
The goal of the Scaling Track is to invest in established partnerships that have demonstrated effectiveness in implementing sector strategy training programs in one or more infrastructure-related sectors.

These grants also emphasize using career pathways programs that lead to credentials recognized by employers, work-based learning training models, including Registered Apprenticeships, and supportive services to increase participation and retention in these programs.  

A prospective applicant webinar and Frequently Asked Questions will be posted to this website on or around April 20, 2023.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

             Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Updated May 15, 2023)

 

Workforce Pathways for Youth – FOA-ETA-23-06

This announcement solicits applications for the Workforce Pathways for Youth grant program. The purpose of this program is to increase alignment between the workforce development system, schools, and OST programs and leverage the roles responsibilities, resources, and expertise of these three entities in order to expand work-based learning opportunities, job training and career pathways for youth living in rural areas.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

 

State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula – FOA-ETA-23-09

This Funding Opportunity Announcement solicits applications for the Sate Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) grant program. This FOA supports a coordinated, national investment strategy that aims to strengthen and modernize the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) system. The SAEF grant program is intended to better support State capacity and State planning to create new RAPs while also driving system innovation and reform, the Department intends to provide, on an on-going basis, annual funding to all States that apply, as well as an opportunity for States to apply for additional competitive funding.

              Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

Pathway Home 4 – FOA-ETA-23-04

The Pathway Home Grant Program builds on the findings of the Linking Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) implementation study. The LEAP pilots provided pre-release services through jail-based American Job Centers and linked participants to post-release services. By providing for reentry services to begin while participants are still incarcerated and to continue post-release, these projects are designed to eliminate the time gap between release from prison and enrollment into a workforce development reentry program leading to skills-based employment, to improve individuals' transition back into their communities, and to reduce recidivism. These projects will serve adults aged 18 or older who have been convicted under federal, state, or local law and are incarcerated in state correctional facilities or local or county jails with scheduled release dates within 20 to 270 days of enrollment in the project.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

 

YouthBuild - FOA-ETA-23-17

Under the YouthBuild Funding Opportunity Announcement, DOL will award grants through a competitive process to organizations providing pre-apprenticeship services that support education, occupational skills training, and employment services to opportunity youth, ages 16 to 24, while performing meaningful work and service to their communities. The YouthBuild program model prepares participants for quality jobs in a variety of careers, including infrastructure, and contains wrap-around services such as mentoring, trauma-informed care, personal counseling, and employment – all key strategies for addressing community violence. YouthBuild applicants must include construction skills training and may include occupational skills training in other in-demand industries. This expansion into additional indemand industries is the Construction Plus component, a priority in this grant competition. 

YouthBuild is a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who left high school prior to graduation that also have other risk factors, including being an adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, migrant farmworker youth, youth experiencing housing instability, and other disadvantaged youth populations. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses multiple core issues important to youth in lowincome communities: affordable housing, leadership development, education, and employment opportunities in in-demand industries and apprenticeship pathways. YouthBuild programs serve as the connection point to vital services for participants. Key aspects of the YouthBuild service delivery model include meaningful partnership and collaboration with the public workforce development system, education and human services systems, and labor and industry partners.

The YouthBuild model balances project-based academic learning and occupational skills training to prepare opportunity youth for career placement and supports the Administration's goal to build a modern and sustainable infrastructure. YouthBuild programs are well-positioned to connect participants with career opportunities developing as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (construction), Inflation Reduction Act (clean energy), and CHIPS and Science Act (manufacturing). For more information on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including a guidebook of other funding opportunities, visit https://www.build.gov.

Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) may be emailed to YB_FOA-ETA-23-17@dol.gov. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.

Prospective Applicant Webinar


DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program - FOA-ETA-22-16

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to address bottlenecks in training the United States nursing workforce and to expand and diversify the pipeline of qualified nursing professionals who can fill quality jobs in healthcare. Applicants will apply for one of two training tracks: 1) The Nurse Education Professional Track will increase the number of nursing instructors and educators by training new or upskilling experienced nurses into the advanced postsecondary credentialing necessary to become nursing instructors or educators. 2) The Nursing Career Pathways Track will train participants as frontline healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals, including direct care workers, to advance along a career pathway and attain postsecondary credentials needed for middle- to high-skilled nursing occupations.

This grant program is grounded in the principles of worker-centered sector strategies, where employers; education and training providers; labor unions, labor-management partnerships, and other worker organizations; workforce development entities; and workers collaboratively address nursing occupation needs in real time and prepare for the future of work with a focus on equity, job quality, and attracting, training, hiring, and retaining skilled workers, especially from underserved communities.

A prospective applicant webinar and Frequently Asked Questions will be posted to this website on approximately October 12, 2022.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

 

Growth Opportunities - FOA-ETA-22-03 (Round 2)

Through the Growth Opportunities grant program, the Department will introduce and prepare justice-involved youth and young adults for the world of work through placement into paid work experiences. These grants focus on youth and young adults most impacted by community violence, particularly in areas of concentrated crime and poverty as well as communities that have recently experienced significant unrest. This program contributes to the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence and other violent crime, in part, with preventative measures that are proven to reduce violent crime and support public safety and community well-being. The goals of the grant are to: help youth and young adults to increase their conflict resolution skills and develop strategies to prevent and avoid violence; introduce and prepare youth for the world of work; help youth identify career interests, attain relevant skills and gain work experience; and provide income to youth, to start them on the path of earning living wages and obtaining high quality jobs and careers.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

 

Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant - FOA-ETA-22-02 (SCC3)

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the third round of Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (or SCC3).  DOL is soliciting applications for SCC3 through an amendment to the second round of the SCC grants funding opportunity announcement (FOA).  Applications for SCC3 are due October 14, 2022, using the SCC2 FOA (see Amendment Two). 

For the purposes of this FOA, this training initiative has two parts: the standard program grants will be referred to as SCC3 Program Grants and the additional evaluation funds will be referred to as Additional SCC3 Evaluation Funding. The purpose of this program is to address two inter-related needs: 1) to increase the capacity and responsiveness of community colleges to address identified equity gaps, and 2) to meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways, as well as the skill development needs of underserved and underrepresented workers.

Ultimately, these grants should build the capacity of community colleges to address identified equity gaps and meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways leading to quality jobs.  These efforts will yield sustainable systems-level changes in education and training through collaboration between community colleges, employers and the public workforce development system that align education and training, work experiences, and industry-recognized credentials that lead to career growth.

Prospective Applicant Webinar (SCC2 webinar can be used for SCC3 applications)

Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC): A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian and Delta Regions- FOA-ETA-22-13

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to create economic mobility, address historic inequities for marginalized communities of color and other underserved and underrepresented communities, and produce high-quality employment for workers who reside in the Appalachian and Delta regions, enabling them to remain and thrive in these communities. The WORC Initiative provides funding to eligible applicants proposing to meet this goal with a project addressing the employment and training needs of the local and regional workforce, created in collaboration with community partners and aligned with existing economic and workforce development plans and strategies.

Successful applicants will demonstrate clear strategies to provide needed career, training, and support services to eligible individuals in counties, parishes, or areas currently underserved by other resources, so they may secure good jobs in stable, high-demand occupations. Eligible individuals served under this grant include dislocated workers, new entrants to the workforce, and incumbent workers.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

 

The Indian and Native American Program - FOA-ETA-22-05

The Indian and Native American Program (INAP) Employment and Training Grants support employment and training activities for Indians and Native Americans throughout the United States by awarding grant funding to eligible entities at the local level for the provision of employment services. Grant award recipients may use funding to help all eligible Indian and Native Americans, including Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, with employment, financial assistance for education and training, and other supportive services necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Prospective Applicant Webinar

Workforce Pathways for Youth - FOA-ETA-22-07

The Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants support national out-of-school time (OST) organizations that serve  historically underserved and marginalized youth ages 14 to 21.  These grants will place an emphasis on age-appropriate workforce readiness programming to expand job training and workforce pathways for youth, including soft skill development, career exploration, job readiness and certification, summer jobs, year-round job opportunities, and apprenticeships.  Funding will also support partnerships between workforce boards and youth serving organizations.

Prospective Applicant Webinar


Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Grant Program - FOA-ETA-22-06

This Funding Opportunity Announcement solicits applications for the Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) grant program. This FOA supports a coordinated, national investment strategy that aims to strengthen and modernize the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) system, centered on equity and promotes Registered Apprenticeship as a workforce development solution. Applicants have the opportunity to apply for funding across four grant categories: (1) State Apprenticeship System Building and Modernization; (2) Expansion of RAP Opportunities for Youth; (3) Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways Through Pre-Apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships; and (4) Registered Apprenticeship Hubs.

The ABA grant program builds on the Department’s previous and ongoing efforts to expand and modernize Registered Apprenticeship through expanding the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that utilize Registered Apprenticeship, and increasing access to and completion of RAPs for underrepresented populations and underserved communities.

Prospective Applicant Webinar Recording

Prospective Applicant Webinar Transcript

Pathway Home 3 - FOA-ETA-22-04

The Pathway Home Grant Program builds on the findings of the Linking Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) implementation study.  The LEAP pilots provided pre-release services through jail-based American Job Centers and linked participants to post-release services.  By providing for reentry services to begin while participants are still incarcerated and to continue post-release, these projects are designed to eliminate the time gap between release from prison and enrollment into a workforce development reentry program leading to skills-based employment. These projects will serve adults aged 18 or older who have been convicted under federal, state, or local law and are incarcerated in state correctional facilities or local or county jails with scheduled release dates within 20 to 270 days of enrollment in the program.

Prospective Applicant Webinar


Growth Opportunities - FOA-ETA-22-03

Through the Growth Opportunities grant program, the Department will introduce and prepare justice-involved youth and young adults for the world of work through placement into paid work experiences. These grants focus on youth and young adults most impacted by community violence, particularly in areas of concentrated crime and poverty as well as communities that have recently experienced significant unrest. This program contributes to the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence and other violent crime, in part, with preventative measures that are proven to reduce violent crime and support public safety and community well-being. The goals of the grant are to: help youth and young adults to increase their conflict resolution skills and develop strategies to prevent and avoid violence; introduce and prepare youth for the world of work; help youth identify career interests, attain relevant skills and gain work experience; and provide income to youth, to start them on the path of earning living wages and obtaining high quality jobs and careers.

Prospective Applicant Webinar


Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant - FOA-ETA-22-02 (SCC2)

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the second round of Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (or SCC2).  For the purposes of this FOA, this training initiative has two parts: the standard program grants will be referred to as SCC2 Program Grants and the additional evaluation funds will be referred to as Additional SCC2 Evaluation Funding.  The purpose of this program is to address two inter-related needs: 1) to increase the capacity and responsiveness of community colleges to address identified equity gaps, and 2) to meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways, as well as the skill development needs of underserved and underrepresented workers.

Ultimately, these grants should build the capacity of community colleges to address identified equity gaps and meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways leading to quality jobs. These efforts will yield sustainable systems-level changes in education and training through collaboration between community colleges, employers and the public workforce development system that align education and training, work experiences, and industry-recognized credentials that lead to career growth.

Prospective Applicant Webinar


YouthBuild - FOA-ETA-22-01

The purpose of this program is to fund organizations to provide a pre-apprenticeship program model that encompasses education, occupational skills training, leadership development, and high-quality post-program placement opportunities to opportunity youth. YouthBuild is a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who left high school prior to graduation that also have other risk factors, including being an adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, migrant farmworker youth, youth experiencing housing instability, and other disadvantaged youth populations. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses multiple core issues important to youth in low-income communities: affordable housing, leadership development, education, and employment opportunities in in-demand industries and apprenticeship pathways. YouthBuild programs serve as the connection point to vital services for participants. Key aspects of the YouthBuild service delivery model include meaningful partnership and collaboration with the public workforce development system, education and human services systems, and labor and industry partners. DOL expects applicants funded through this solicitation to have well-established partnerships in place prior to grant award.  

The YouthBuild model balances project-based academic learning and occupational skills training to prepare opportunity youth for career placement.  The academic component assists youth who are often significantly behind in basic skill development in obtaining a high school diploma or state high school equivalency credential.  The occupational skills training component prepares opportunity youth for apprenticeship and other career pathways and/or further education or training.  It also supports the goal of increasing affordable housing within communities by teaching youth construction skills learned by building or significantly renovating homes for sale or rent to low-income families or transitional housing for homeless families or individuals.


Workforce System Technical Assistance Collaborative – FOA-ETA-21-09

This Announcement solicits applications to establish and operate a Workforce System Technical Assistance (TA) Collaborative over a 3-year (36-month) period of performance from an anticipated start date of February 2022. The Workforce System TA Collaborative is an entity or consortium of partners that, in close coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), will plan, develop and deliver TA to the public workforce system, considered here as primarily Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service grantees and required partners of the one stop delivery system, where TA to a broader range of partners improves WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act service delivery.  The Collaborative will respond to the needs identified by the WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act grantees and plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to TA, in consultation with DOL, aimed at improving the quality of employment and training services provided to the nation’s job seekers and employers. To further the goal of improving public workforce services, the Collaborative will assist grantees in complying with federal requirements and in achieving equity in service delivery and outcomes for people of color and historically marginalized populations, including individuals with disabilities. Note that the term “Collaborative” does not refer to a physical location or center.