US Department of Labor awards $86 million to 14 states for investment in skills training programs for critical in-demand, emerging industries

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $86 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to 14 states to accelerate innovation, strengthen domestic production, and address critical workforce needs across the country, with more than $20 million of the funding supporting the revitalization of the domestic shipbuilding industry, training workers in welding, marine electrical, manufacturing, and other skilled trades.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, these grants will provide outcome-based reimbursements to employers for providing training in high-demand and emerging industries that align with President Trump’s Executive Order 14278, Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future, and Executive Order 14629, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance. These priorities are also in line with the goals published in America’s Talent Strategy and America’s AI Action Plan.

“President Trump has directed the Labor Department to Make America Skilled Again by providing states with the resources they need to expand on-the-job training opportunities,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “By investing more than $86 million in workforce development initiatives across the country, we are carrying out our responsibility to prepare American workers to fill the mortgage-paying jobs being created by this Administration’s efforts to revitalize American manufacturing, shipbuilding, energy production, and other critical industries. This is how we keep America working and winning.”

Applicants were required to propose a model to award funds to employers for training and retaining newly hired and incumbent workers in high-growth and emerging industries critical to American competitiveness.

The department awarded Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to the following recipients:

• Arizona Department of Economic Security: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing.
• Connecticut Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing; construction; distribution, logistics, and transportation; health care; information technology; and shipbuilding.
• Technical College System of Georgia: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing, construction, and energy.
• Idaho Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing, domestic mineral production, and nuclear energy.
• Iowa Workforce Development: $4.7 million to support advanced manufacturing.
• Louisiana Workforce Commission: $7 million to support advanced manufacturing, AI-enabling occupations supporting data centers and digital infrastructure, and construction and industrial trades.
• Maine Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and shipbuilding.
• Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity: $8 million to support shipbuilding.
• Mississippi Department of Employment Security: $5.7 million to support shipbuilding.
• Oklahoma Employment Security Commission: $6 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and AI infrastructure.
• Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing, AI, nuclear energy, and technology infrastructure.
• Texas Workforce Commission: $5.4 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace, AI, aviation, biotechnology, chemical products, defense, energy, information technology, life science, petroleum refining, semiconductor, and shipbuilding.
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: $7.3 million to support advanced manufacturing and generative AI.
• Wyoming Department of Workforce Services: $3 million to support advanced manufacturing, construction, domestic mineral production, finance and insurance, information technology, health care, and nuclear energy.

The department initially announced the funding availability in early August. Dependent on the availability of funding, the department anticipates additional rounds of grants.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.