US Department of Labor announces availability of $6M in grants to attract, retain women in Registered Apprenticeships, nontraditional occupations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a funding opportunity of $6 million for up to 17 grants to attract and keep women in Registered Apprenticeship programs and industries where they are underrepresented, including manufacturing, construction and cybersecurity. 

Administered jointly by the department’s Women’s Bureau and Employment and Training Administration, the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Grant Program supports community-based organizations in their efforts to recruit, train and retain more women in Registered Apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations.   

Women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force but only about 14 percent of all Registered Apprenticeships, a proven pathway to good-paying, family-sustaining jobs and a pipeline for employers to recruit, develop and retain a highly skilled and diverse workforce. 

The WANTO grants will help address the significant underrepresentation of women in Registered Apprenticeships in skilled trades such as construction and in emerging, high-growth industries such as manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity and healthcare. 

Read about the 2023 WANTO grant recipients. 

Learn more about the 2024 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grants and apply.