Federal Funding Available for Workforce Development

Federal Funding Available for Workforce DevelopmentOn March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law comprehensive COVID-19 pandemic relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Under the ARP, the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) “was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks.”

On July 22, 2021, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced in an EDA press release the implementation of “a series of programs, collectively called Investing in America’s Communities, to equitably invest the $3 billion it received from” the ARP, which represents “the largest economic development initiative from the Department of Commerce in decades.”

Secretary Raimondo noted, “We will work with local communities across the country on innovative new approaches to ensure that we can increase American competitiveness by strengthening our workforce, businesses, and communities and build back better in regions across the country.”

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this new source of funding, including the programs specifically targeted toward increased investment in workforce development. We’ll also discuss how Amatrol and its nationwide network of expert consultants can help you as you apply for EDA funding to improve technical training in your area.

What are the Investing in America’s Communities Programs?

According to an EDA Fact Sheet, “there are still more than seven million fewer jobs in the United States than there were before the pandemic,” despite signs of a growing economic recovery. However, experts hope that EDA’s Investing in America’s Communities “programs will get Americans back to work in good-paying jobs. From investing in worker training to supporting manufacturing to funding infrastructure projects, all six programs will put Americans back to work in communities across the country.”

The new programs announced by the EDA (and the amounts set aside for each) include the following:

  • Build Back Better Regional Challenge ($1 billion)
  • Good Jobs Challenge ($500 million)
  • Economic Adjustment Assistance Challenge ($500 million)
  • Indigenous Communities Challenge ($100 million)
  • Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Grants ($750 million)
  • Statewide Planning, Research and Networks Grants ($90 million)
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Need help?

EDA Funding for Workforce Development More information can be found at the eda.gov and grants.gov websites. If you’ve never applied for federal funding before, it might seem like a daunting task. However, there are resources available to help, and it’s important to pursue these opportunities when they arise.

Do you have questions on the training equipment eligible? Ready for a quote? We are here to help!

The deadline is quickly approaching. Contact us today!

Technical Training and Workforce Development

Learn more about the programs with the most impact on technical training and workforce development: the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the Good Jobs Challenge and the Coal Communities Commitment .

Federal Funding for Workforce Development
Federal Funding for CTE Programs
Federal Funding for Community Education

Who can Apply for EDA Funding?

If you’re an instructor or administrator for an institution of higher education, now is the time to apply for your share of the $3 billion EDA funding now available. As Secretary Raimondo noted in the EDA press release, the “EDA will make grants to state and local governmental entities, institutions of higher education, not-for-profit entities, unions, and Tribes. EDA is not authorized to provide grants to individuals or for-profit entities.”

Interested parties should focus on creating partnerships with local workforce development organizations, as well as local industries, to ensure that proposals for new or updated technical training programs align with the goals set forth in the various programs receiving EDA funding.

As Christopher Gergen notes in an article for The Hill:

“If done well, ARP’s federal relief represents an unparalleled opportunity for transforming local economies. But only if these communities have the planning and strategic capacity to access and deploy these funds in ways that are efficient, effective, and equitable. The challenge is that far too many communities across the country, particularly less resourced and rural communities, are already stretched thin and have limited capacity to leverage the available relief money and apply for competitive funds.”