Labor Department Awards $95.5M to Retrain Laid-Off Workers
Federal grants will fund 20 projects across 17 states to fast-track displaced workers into high-growth industries within six months.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that it is distributing $95.5 million in Rapid Reskill Dislocated Worker Grants to 20 projects spanning 17 states, with the aim of accelerating job placement for workers displaced by layoffs into sectors including domestic manufacturing, aerospace, energy production, and construction.
Administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration and authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the grants are designed to assess participants' existing skills and chart a rapid path toward in-demand, high-wage occupations. Program participants are expected to enter paid employment — whether full-time unsubsidized work, a Registered Apprenticeship, or structured on-the-job training — within six months of enrolling.
Read more Home Sellers Outnumber Buyers by 63%, Widest Gap in 13 Years →
Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling framed the initiative as central to what he called a "Golden Age of reindustrialization," saying the grants would help displaced workers gain credentials without leaving their communities. Funded projects will also be required to document and share the training models they develop, creating a body of replicable approaches for workforce programs nationwide.
Grant recipients range from state workforce agencies to nonprofit and private organizations. The largest individual awards — each at approximately $6.59 million — went to Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Washington, Texas-based Adaptive Construction Solutions, and The Boot in Louisiana. New York received funding through three separate recipients: the state Department of Labor, Per Scholas Inc., and Pursuit Transformation Company Inc.
Continue reading at DOL News Releases and Briefs.
