WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded nearly $1.5 million in grant funding to organizations in Illinois, Virginia, and Wisconsin to help recruit, train, and retain more women in quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The grants will help women pursue careers in manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, health care, and other industries.

The 2019 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant recipients are:

• Chicago Women in Trades ($494,460)
• Hampton Roads Workforce Council ($500,000)
• Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Inc. ($498,055)

"In the past two years, we have seen women's unemployment rate fall to its lowest since 1953," said Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella. "We are committed to expanding access to apprenticeship opportunities that will help even more women find pathways to family-sustaining jobs and fulfilling careers in all industries."  

Chicago Women in Trades

Founded by tradeswomen in 1981, Chicago Women in Trades exists to improve women's economic equity by increasing their participation in high-skill, blue-collar occupations such as manufacturing, transportation, and construction.

The WANTO grant will help Chicago Women in Trades provide technical assistance to more than 320 registered apprenticeship programs and employers; introduce 2,500 women to apprenticeship and careers in nontraditional occupations; enroll 209 women in pre-apprenticeship or other preparatory training; place 130 women in apprenticeship or other nontraditional employment; engage over 100 tradeswomen in mentorship and leadership development classes; support nine tradeswomen's committees, organizations, and support groups; and improve women's retention in apprenticeship.

Hampton Roads Workforce Council

The Hampton Roads Workforce Council's Women in Skilled Careers (WISC) seeks to create a pipeline of skilled workers for the ship repair industry by targeting an under-recruited population: women, specifically those who have received, or are receiving, services for issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, homelessness, and poverty.

WISC will provide these women with a fast-tracked pathway to earn critical skills, obtain recognized credentials, and begin employment in the ship repair industry while earning a living sustainable wage with full employment benefits. Participants will receive transportation, child care, and stipends to support their participation in grant-funded activities.

The WANTO grant will help WISC provide opportunities for 40 women to earn a total of 120 nationally-recognized credentials.

Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Inc.

The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Inc.'s West Coast to the Nation's Center – Building a Best Practice Network to Raise Women's Success in Apprenticeships (RWSA) is a robust network of nonprofits, Workforce Investment Boards, employers, and unions. RWSA will focus on informing, engaging, and enrolling more women in pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeships in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, energy, information technology and transportation.

The WANTO grant will support RWSA's efforts to help 110 women enter pre-apprenticeship and/or registered apprenticeship programs and introduce 700 women to the benefits of apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations.

Recipients of the WANTO grants must provide one or more of the following types of technical assistance:

• Develop pre-apprenticeship or nontraditional skills training programs to prepare women for apprenticeships and careers in apprenticeable industries;
• Provide ongoing training for employers, unions, and workers on creating an environment for women to succeed in those careers; and
• Help set up support groups, facilitate networks, and/or provide supportive services for women to improve their retention.

The Department's Women's Bureau and its Employment and Training Administration administer the grants. Learn more about the WANTO program and grant recipients.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a new grant program to help women affected by the opioid crisis re-enter the workforce. The Re-Employment, Support, and Training for the Opioid Related Epidemic (RESTORE) grant will award $2.5 million to organizations that assist in providing coordinated, employment-focused services to women.

The RESTORE program will provide approximately four to eight grants to governments of states and outlying areas, Indian/Native American Tribal governments or organizations, state or local workforce development boards, or nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, including community-based or faith-based organizations. The recipients can use the grant to foster cooperative relationships among a wide range of entities, including key stakeholders, public health and substance abuse treatment professionals, and other human services and support service providers, to provide skills development and employment services to women workers.

Organizations applying must provide the following types of activities:

• Providing skills development and employment services to women workers affected by the opioid crisis;
• Establishing a new program or expanding an existing program to quickly address the urgent challenges faced by women in areas of the country hardest hit by the opioid crisis; and
• Forming partnerships with key stakeholders, including women's organizations and state and local women's commissions, as well as agencies and organizations in workforce development, public health and substance abuse, human services, and other supportive services.

The Department's Women's Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration administer these grants. Organizations must apply at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=318777 by August 23, 2019. For further information about this opportunity, see the FAQs or contact Grants Management Specialist Marc Purvis at 202-693-3204 or purvis.marc@dol.gov.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $1.5 million in grant funding available to recruit, mentor, train, and retain more women in quality apprenticeship programs and pursue careers in manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health care, among other industries.

"Apprenticeships provide a pathway to family-sustaining jobs," said Women's Bureau Acting Director Erica Clayton Wright. "As the Trump administration works to expand apprenticeship across all industries and sectors of our economy, we remain committed to advancing women's access to these opportunities."

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program will award $1.5 million to community-based organizations to encourage women's employment in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations. Grants will be awarded to up to six community-based organizations. Applicants must provide one or more of the following types of technical assistance:

• Developing pre-apprenticeship or nontraditional skills training programs to prepare women for those careers;
• Providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women to succeed in those careers; and
• Setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services for women to improve their retention.

The Department's Women's Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration administer the 2019 grants. For information about the program see the Department's WANTO page.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Women's Bureau Director Patricia G. Greene will be returning to the private sector effective April 26, 2019.

"For a year and a half as Director of the Women's Bureau, Dr. Patti Greene has led the Women's Bureau mission to support America's working women, and ensure that they have access to good, family-sustaining jobs," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. "We are grateful for her service, and wish her success in her future endeavors."

President Trump appointed Dr. Greene as Director of the Women's Bureau on October 31, 2017.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding Women's History Month:

"Women's History Month is a celebration of women who succeed in every corner of the American economy. The Department of Labor is especially honored to have the first woman member of the President's Cabinet, Frances Perkins.

"As we commemorate 100 years of women's suffrage, we recognize the women who are making history today by breaking barriers and thriving in leadership roles throughout our nation."