Grant Awarded For Workforce Development Training Program

We’ve written extensively about the importance of workforce development. And it is important. Ensuring that enough workers are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow is critical, making sure that workers are not only taught important skills but also are able to earn good-paying jobs. One of the ways that this can be accomplished is through job training programs, especially where workers learn onsite. It’s in the public’s interest to have these kinds of workforce development training programs available. That is why the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Labor, provides grant funding to various workforce development programs.

This actually started in 1973 with the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, signed into law by then-President Richard Nixon. This bill, which became a federal law enacted by Congress, created workforce development programs to train workers for public service.

That’s why it’s encouraging to hear that the U.S Department of Labor has awarded a $1.5 million grant to Employ Milwaukee, which hosts various workforce development training programs.

Workforce Development Training Programs Can Help People Find Meaningful Work

Just a little bit of background:

Each state has its own way of administering workforce development programs. in the state of Wisconsin, this happens through the Department of Workforce Development. This board falls under Gov. Tony Evers’ Council on Workforce Investment. Employ Milwaukee is the workforce development board serving Milwaukee as well as Milwaukee County.

Employ Milwaukee seeks to connect people who are seeking meaningful employment to job opportunities in Milwaukee County. The programs can help to prepare these job seekers by offering education and training for high-demand job sectors. Milwaukee saw a peak unemployment rate of 15.2% in April of 2020, and a year later sat around 6.3%. The rate is higher than in the state of Wisconsin as a whole.

Some more details:

Employ Milwaukee received $1.5 million from this U.S. Department of Labor grant program as part of a larger $89 million award. The funding from DOL will be administered to local organizations that specifically focus on potential workers ages 16-24 who are not currently in school. The training will focus on construction and similar industries. These grant funds will enable these young people to put their skills to work by helping to rehabilitate and build housing for low-income and homeless families who need this work.

Where does the funding come from?

USDOL is providing these grants through the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Under this training model, these workers will split time between an in-classroom educational setting and an on-location job setting. So far, ETA has awarded 68 grants through this program.

More Funding is Available

We hope that you enjoy reading about this program that will hopefully help many people in Milwaukee County. Workforce development programs are especially important as we begin to fully come out of this pandemic. Enabling more people to find well-paying, highly-skilled employment to help them and their families flourish is key.

Discover more workforce development grants on grant listing databases such as GrantWatch.com For more information, you can also visit the GrantWatch FAQ page.