US Labor Department announces approximately $98.5 million in grants through Workforce Innovation Fund

Grants will enhance innovative employment and training programs

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the availability of approximately $98.5 million through the Workforce Innovation Fund to support employment and training services. The fund invests in programs that support, evaluate and enhance workforce investment strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations. A solicitation for grant applications will be published in the Dec. 23 edition of the Federal Register.

"The mission of the public workforce system is to find good jobs for everyone," said Secretary Solis. "These grants will significantly enhance the capacity of our public workforce system by identifying, evaluating and expanding successful programs."

Eligible applicants include state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards and organizations considered eligible to apply for WIA Section 166 grants. The grants will be administered by the Labor Department, working closely with the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. In addition to providing technical assistance to grantees throughout the life of the grants, the Labor Department will share program evaluation results with grantees as well as stakeholders in workforce, education and human services systems.

More information about the Workforce Innovation Fund, as well as tools and resources to support application development, is available at http://www.doleta.gov/workforce_innovation. Additionally, prospective applicants are encouraged to view the online tutorial "Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants," available at http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

Prospective applicants can register at http://www.grants.gov to access the solicitation. The Labor Department also posts grant information at http://www.doleta.gov/grants.