US Department of Labor awards $11.6M in grants to 4 states to improve delivery of workforce services, measure effectiveness

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $11.6 million to help fund examinations of the outcomes and effectiveness of state education and workforce programs in Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the Workforce Data Quality Initiative grants will enable the states to develop or enhance databases to analyze programs that provide workforce training and employment services.

The grants will support the states’ collection and analysis of data to gain a comprehensive view of how jobseekers obtain employment through workforce education and training programs. Funds will also enable states to identify labor market changes and design delivery services that improve employment opportunities, especially for people from underserved and underrepresented populations.

Investments in evidence-based approaches to support workers is essential to connecting jobseekers with the skills needed to obtain high quality jobs. The Workforce Data Quality Initiative grants will help states enhance the capacity of workforce development programs and improve the quality and range of workforce data to benefit jobseekers, workers and employers.

The department awarded Workforce Data Quality Initiative grants to the following recipients: