Labor Day Honors the Vital Role Workers Play in Society

It should not be a surprise that the way we honor the ‘labor’ force on Labor Day is to give many workers the day off. While the break is a great way to say thank you to these hard workers, it is important that the recognition does not stop there. Rather than just talking about the value of a solid and committed workforce, it is imperative to ensure additional workforce funding is available.

Workforce development can mean the chance for a worker to obtain a higher-paying job. Providing employees with training and education makes them more valuable in a company’s eyes. GrantWatch has a category specifically for workforce-related funding with more than 1,400 grants currently accepting applications. With GrantWatch, you can also find a list of  200 foundations that have funded workforce development in the past. Today, GrantWatch is sharing 10 of the top workforce grants available.

While Labor Day primarily focuses on workers, it’s also a time to appreciate the idea of community and the role our neighbors play in our lives. Our communities are built and sustained by the hard work of countless individuals in various sectors. From teachers who educate our children to healthcare workers who keep us healthy, from police officers and other first responders who ensure our safety to the farmers who feed us, every occupation plays a vital role. Whether you work in an office, a factory, a restaurant, or even from your home, you are an important part of society and are appreciated immensely. GrantWatch wants to thank all of you on this Labor Day!

Grants and In-kind Support for Workforce Funding

1. There are grants and In-kind Support to nursing and medical educators to support career development and innovative educational approaches. Funding promotes careers of promising PhD-track faculty members in medicine and nursing. The program encourages faculty commitment to careers in health professional education.
2. Grants of up to $25,000 to colleges and universities to assist the development of technological innovations with market potential. In fact, funding supports commercially promising and scalable engineering or science-based innovations. Student innovators and entrepreneurs receive funds, training, immersive workshops, and specialized coaching to help move their inventions into the marketplace.
3. Additionally, there are grants to agricultural agencies and organizations for professional advancement/training activities for educators, professionals, and mentor farmers. Funding also supports workshops, on-farm tours and demonstrations, and educational manuals and videos. The goal is to educate ag professionals on strategies and technologies to advance sustainable agriculture while helping farmers and ranchers increase profits and lessen environmental impacts.
4. Additionally, there are grants to public and private local news organizations, including TV and radio stations, newspapers, journalism schools, digital sites, and media centers, to cover salaries for early-career journalists to join the staff. Funding supports local organizations committed to providing objective, civically important local journalism. Independent and rural newsrooms, as well as Black-owned, Latino-owned, and AAPI-owned newsrooms, should apply.
5. Grants of up to $20,000 to individuals for career and project development in the field of architecture. Funding is for production costs related to the creation of innovative architecture projects or as seed money toward research costs. In addition, priority is given to first-time applicants.

Additional Workforce Development Grants

1. There are Fellowships for early-career teachers to participate in a professional development program to advance their teaching careers in high school-level mathematics and science. Selected fellows will receive stipends and grants, mentoring and coaching, and networking resources.
2. Grants of up to $5,000 to public school and IHE (Institutions of Higher Education) teachers, specialized instructional support personnel (SISP), education support professionals (ESPs), and groups of educators for professional learning and career development. Funding is to provide resources for educators hoping to utilize professional learning to implement in their classrooms. The Foundation expects education support professionals to apply.
3. Additionally, there are Fellowships focused on clinical medicine research. Project disciplines include the following: psychiatry, neurology, internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics with a special emphasis on patient-oriented research. Moreover, U.S.-located institutions will conduct research under the supervision of a scientific advisor.
4. There are grants of up to $1,000 to eligible choreographers for professional development activities and projects. Funding is for activities and opportunities significantly impacting choreography dancemaking.
5. Lastly, Scholarships of $2,000 to U.S. individuals to pursue professional development training. The program’s purpose is to empower Americans to progress in their careers. Scholarship vocational training industries include transportation, technology, construction, communications, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and public service.

As this Labor Day passes us by, let us remember the importance of acknowledging and valuing the efforts of all workers and neighbors who make our world a better place to live. We hope you had a great Labor Day and were able to spend some time with family and friends!

GrantNews Notes

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