The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the availability of approximately $100 million in America’s Promise Job-Driven Grants to develop and grow regional partnerships between workforce agencies, education and training providers and employers in a variety of industries such as information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services and educational services.
The America’s Promise grant competition is designed to:
- Increase opportunities for all Americans through tuition-free training for middle-to high-skilled occupations and industries.
- Expand employer involvement in the design and delivery of training programs.
- Utilize evidence-based sector strategies to increase employability, employment earnings and outcomes of job seekers.
- Leverage additional public, private and foundation resources to scale and sustain proven strategies.
Approximately 20 to 40 grants of $1 million to $6 million will be awarded throughout the country. For each sector and service area, partnerships must include the public workforce system, an economic development agency, at least one education and training provider and at least five employers or a regional industry association.
The four-year grants will support tuition-free education and training that prepares participants for jobs in industries that currently utilize the H-1B temporary visa program to meet industry workforce needs. Grant-funded programs will use individual assessments to determine the best strategies to successfully move participants into middle- to high-skilled jobs including accelerated training, longer-term intensive training and upskilling current employees to meet the demands of higher skilled jobs.