The NC Works Commission is inviting applications for a competitive reentry grant to address local workforce challenges.
This grant, part of Governor Cooper’s NC Job Ready initiative, will award up to $125,000 to support local partnerships focused on reentry efforts for formerly incarcerated individuals. The grant will fund a two-year implementation period.
“This fund not only fuels innovation but also advances the vital mission of reentry for formerly incarcerated people,” Governor Cooper stated. “By strengthening these programs and partnerships, we pave pathways to rebuild lives and ensure safer communities.”
The Local Innovation Fund aims to support projects that help traditionally underserved reentry populations, foster community collaborations, enhance educational attainment, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce, and develop talent pipelines for in-demand or high-wage jobs.
“In line with our First in Talent Plan, the NCWorks Local Innovation Fund fosters diverse solutions for workforce challenges,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “This grant empowers communities to pioneer innovative approaches, including initiatives for individuals with justice system involvement, connecting them to employers and expanding opportunities for all North Carolinians.”
Applications are now open for community partnerships that show strong collaboration, innovative ideas, and local support in reentry efforts. Each application must include the local Workforce Development Board (WDB) as the lead agency, along with education, community, labor, and business leaders.
The application deadline is June 7, 2024, with the grantee announcement expected by late June 2024.
The NCWorks Commission’s Local Innovation Fund, administered by the Division of Workforce Solutions within the N.C. Department of Commerce, is supported by the State Fiscal Recovery Fund (SFRF) from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. This act provided $5.4 billion to North Carolina to help recover from the pandemic and promote equitable economic recovery.
For more details on the grant and application process, visit www.commerce.nc.gov/local-innovation.
