Last year, the Employment and Training Administration announced $15,000,000 in available grant funds authorized through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). They are specifically for executing “Demonstration and Pilot projects related to the employment and training needs of new entrants to the workforce, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers for the Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant Program,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The full guidelines can be found at: FOA-ETA-23-13.pdf (dol.gov).

The second application period for this grant funding is now open. It will close on 07/15/2024. The North Carolina Business Committee for Education, a non-profit operating out of the Governor’s Office, reached out to the workforce development boards across North Carolina to organize a group application for this funding. They will coordinate the writing of the grant, program design, budget, implementation timeline, potential partnerships, and strategic plan development in regard to job quality, strategic partnerships, industry-driven workforce development, and worker voice and engagement.