Labor Department announces $122M for job training
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By Times Staff, Published February 28, 2011
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About $65 million in job training funds through a new U.S. Department of Labor program will be set aside for health care programs. (Photo: Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania)
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The U.S. Department of Labor is accepting applications through a new career pathways program that will award about $122 million in grants over the next year, with about $65 million going toward health care programs.
The Career Pathways Innovation Fund Grant Program will fund 40 to 50 grants, ranging from $1 million to $5 million each, according to the department. The grants—which are replacing the former Community-Based Job Training grants—will focus on career pathway programs that help individuals enter careers in emerging industries and in-demand occupations.
"Those who are looking for work—including the long-term unemployed—deserve access to the kind of training that will help them secure full-time employment in the 21st century economy," Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in a statement. Solis announced the grants during the U.S. Department of Education’s Community College Regional Summit in Philadelphia on Monday.
The deadline for applications is March 31. The program will likely be funded for only one year, as the Obama administration has not requested funding for the program in its 2011 budget proposal.
Projects funded through these Career Pathways grants will have several entry and exit points, and many will link to services such as basic adult education and English as a second language to help individuals prepare to enroll in college courses. The grants, which will be made to community colleges and other organizations, support President Obama’s goal of ensuring the U.S. has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
The grant program will emphasize career pathway programs at community colleges in partnership with employers, local workforce investment boards, and community and faith-based organizations.
In order to further the goals of career training and education, and encourage innovation in developing new learning materials leading to industry-recognized credentials, grantees will be required to license to the public (not including the federal government) all work created with the support of the grants.
The Career Pathways Innovation Fund Grant Program will fund 40 to 50 grants, ranging from $1 million to $5 million each, according to the department. The grants—which are replacing the former Community-Based Job Training grants—will focus on career pathway programs that help individuals enter careers in emerging industries and in-demand occupations.
"Those who are looking for work—including the long-term unemployed—deserve access to the kind of training that will help them secure full-time employment in the 21st century economy," Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in a statement. Solis announced the grants during the U.S. Department of Education’s Community College Regional Summit in Philadelphia on Monday.
The deadline for applications is March 31. The program will likely be funded for only one year, as the Obama administration has not requested funding for the program in its 2011 budget proposal.
Projects funded through these Career Pathways grants will have several entry and exit points, and many will link to services such as basic adult education and English as a second language to help individuals prepare to enroll in college courses. The grants, which will be made to community colleges and other organizations, support President Obama’s goal of ensuring the U.S. has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
The grant program will emphasize career pathway programs at community colleges in partnership with employers, local workforce investment boards, and community and faith-based organizations.
In order to further the goals of career training and education, and encourage innovation in developing new learning materials leading to industry-recognized credentials, grantees will be required to license to the public (not including the federal government) all work created with the support of the grants.
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