Tap into Federal Funding for Job Training

The Department of Labor made $240 million available in federal grants for training U.S. workers in high growth, high tech and high skill jobs.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants program competition yesterday. Grants will be awarded to help workers update current job skills or acquire new skills so they can enter career pathways that lead to higher-paying jobs, including positions in information technology. The Department of Labor expects to fund 75-100 grants.

Tomorrow, the Department of Labor will conduct a webinar to share information about the program. Jane Oates, assistant secretary, employment and training administration, Department of Labor, will highlight occupations and sectors and discuss the importance of growing America’s skilled workforce.

Last fall Secretary Solis, CompTIA and leaders in the IT industry – including representatives from CVS, HP, IBM, Juniper Networks and Oracle – met to discuss strategies on how program should be structured to maximize benefits to the American workforce.

The Department of Labor intends to award two types of training grants: those that provide on-the-job training to all participants and those that use other training strategies. At least $150 million will be awarded to grantees that provide on-the-job training. The department also intends to award at least $45 million to applicants proposing to provide training for occupations in the healthcare industry and at least $60 million to applicants that serve long-term unemployed individuals.

Don’t miss out on your chance to win some funding to make the IT workforce even stronger.