(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced the award of $5 million to organizations in seven States to increase the numbers of women in Registered Apprenticeship Programs and help connect them with good-paying careers in non-traditional occupations where the Biden-Harris administration’s historic infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy investments are creating sharp job increases. 

The announcement of the Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations Grants was made at National AFL-CIO Headquarters in Washington.

USDOL Leaders joined National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler to showcase the work of the Labor Organization’s Working for America Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Institute received a $713,892 grant to support its Pre-Apprenticeship Program’s effort to recruit Women of Color in the region.

“To fulfill the promise of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and to rebuild the Nation’s economy from the middle out and the bottom up, we can’t afford to leave any talent untapped,” Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su aid. “(These) announced grants that will support organizations that are training Women for good-paying jobs - including Union Jobs - while ensuring an equitable workforce development system that helps to provide a talent pipeline for employers in critical sectors.”  

This is the USDOL’s largest award of WANTO grants, a 47% increase from 2022. 

The WANTO program seeks to increase employment of Women in Apprenticeships and non-traditional occupations by supporting community-based organizations that develop Pre-Apprenticeship Programs to help Women succeed in industries where they are typically under-represented.  

These industries include construction, advanced manufacturing, energy, technology and transportation.

A portion of the grants awarded can be used to provide participants with support services such as child care, transportation, tuition and work-related gear. 

Administered by the USDOL’s Women’s Bureau and Employment and Training Administration, the 2023 WANTO Grants will fund Training Programs in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington state. 

The WANTO grant recipients are as follows:

To Continue Reading This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Story, Go To: Department of Labor awards $5M to train, expand pathways for women for Registered Apprenticeships, nontraditional occupations | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)