H-1B Skills Training Grants fund projects that provide training and related activities to workers to assist them in gaining the skills and competencies needed to obtain or upgrade employment in high-growth industries or economic sectors. These grants are supported by user fees paid by employers seeking high-skilled foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. The training grants aim to prepare Americans for high-skill jobs, reducing dependence on foreign labor. Funds are authorized by Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 USC 3224a).

Current H-1B Funding Opportunity Announcements

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Current H-1B Grant Programs

DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program Round 2

The second round of the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program expands the U.S. Department of Labor's investment in public-private partnerships to develop, implement, and scale worker-centered sector strategy training programs that train and prepare the skilled workforce needed for good-paying infrastructure jobs created by the Investing in America agenda.  In September 2024, DOL awarded nearly $38 million in grants to 13 public-private partnerships across nine states. Grantees will design and implement training programs in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and professional, scientific, and technical service occupations that support renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors.

For more information about the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program round 2, please see the following:

Please email us with questions about the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program.
 

DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program Round 1

The first round of the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program invests in public-private partnerships to develop, implement, and scale worker-centered sector strategy training programs that train and prepare the skilled workforce needed to meet the demands of the sizeable infrastructure investments made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded approximately $94 million in grants to 34 public-private partnerships nationwide. To maximize the impact of the BIL investment and other investments under the Investing in America agenda, such as the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, this grant program trains job seekers in advanced manufacturing; information technology; and professional, scientific, and technical services occupations that support renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors. The grant projects emphasize the delivery of training and supportive services, particularly to those from rural or historically marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.

For more information about the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program Round 1, please see the following:

Please email us with questions about the DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program.

DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program

The DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program addresses bottlenecks in training the United States nursing workforce and boost the nation's healthcare system through two training tracks: 1) the Nurse Education Professional Track is increasing the number of nursing instructors and educators; and 2) Nursing Career Pathways Track is expanding and diversifying the pipeline of nursing professionals who can fill quality nursing jobs. In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded approximately $78 million in grants to 25 public-private partnerships nationwide. This grant program is grounded in the principles of worker-centered sector strategies where employers; education and training providers; labor unions, labor-management partnerships, and other worker organizations; workforce development entities; and workers collaboratively address nursing occupation needs in real-time and prepare for the future of work. These public-private partnerships focus on equity, job quality, and attracting, training, hiring, and retaining skilled workers, especially from underserved communities.

For more information about the DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program, please see the following:

Please email us with questions about the DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program.

H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program

The H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program is designed to alleviate healthcare workforce shortages by creating sustainable employment and training programs in healthcare occupations (including behavioral and mental healthcare) serving rural populations that are scalable and replicable after this funding expires. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas where there was already an acute need. In January 2021, DOL awarded $40 million in grants to 17 public-private partnerships across the country, to increase the number of individuals training in healthcare occupations that directly impact patient care and address rural healthcare workforce shortages. Expanding employment and training models for the healthcare industry will help individuals gain the skills necessary to provide needed services, fill vacancies, and allow employers to find skilled workers more readily.

For more information about the H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program, please see the following:

Please email us with questions about the H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program.

H-1B One Workforce Grant Program

The H-1B One Workforce Grant Program is designed to develop replicable, comprehensive workforce strategies for preparing the workforce for middle- to high-skilled H-1B occupations within the information technology, advanced manufacturing, and transportation sectors.

These grants build proofs of concept of innovative training models that can be replicated by the broader workforce system. In January 2021, DOL awarded $145 million in grants to 19 public-private partnerships across the country, which must build support for a common vision for responding to the workforce challenges within their state and economic regions, ensuring that their projects complement and leverage, but do not duplicate existing programs. By forging public-private partnerships—H-1B One Workforce Partnerships—grantees bring together industry and employers, education and training providers, the workforce system, state and local government, and other entities that work collaboratively to align resources in response to employer demand and to offer novel education and job training solutions that generate positive outcomes and results.

For more information about the H-1B One Workforce Grant Program, please see:

Please email us with questions about the H-1B One Workforce Grant Program.

Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap

Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap grants promote apprenticeships as a significant workforce solution in filling current job vacancies and closing the skills gap between employer workforce needs and the skills of the current workforce. The grant program places a heavy emphasis on private sector partnership, with a corresponding 45 percent match of federal funds awarded. In February 2020, DOL awarded nearly $100 million in grants to 28 public-private partnerships across the country, which are supporting the large-scale expansion of apprenticeship to industry sectors and occupations that have not traditionally deployed apprenticeships, such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology. These also include in-demand cybersecurity professions and emerging occupations involving artificial intelligence.

For more information about the H-1B Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap Program, please see:

Please email us with questions about the H-1B Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap Grant Program.