The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded more than $86 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to 14 states to support workforce development and strengthen domestic manufacturing and shipbuilding.
Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the grants will provide outcome-based reimbursements to employers that offer training for new and existing workers in high-demand and emerging industries. The funding is intended to advance national goals for innovation, domestic production and workforce readiness.
More than $20 million of the total investment will go toward revitalizing the shipbuilding industry, with a focus on training workers in welding, marine electrical systems, manufacturing and related trades.
“By investing more than $86 million in workforce development initiatives across the country, we are preparing American workers to fill the high-paying jobs being created in manufacturing, shipbuilding, energy and other key sectors,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Each state’s workforce agency will direct the funding toward industry-specific training programs. Grant recipients include:
- Arizona Department of Economic Security: $5 million for advanced manufacturing.
- Connecticut Department of Labor: $8 million for manufacturing, construction, logistics, IT, health care and shipbuilding.
- Technical College System of Georgia: $5 million for manufacturing, construction and energy.
- Idaho Department of Labor: $8 million for manufacturing, domestic mineral production and nuclear energy.
- Iowa Workforce Development: $4.7 million for manufacturing.
- Louisiana Workforce Commission: $7 million for manufacturing, AI-related trades and construction.
- Maine Department of Labor: $8 million for manufacturing, aerospace, defense and shipbuilding.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity: $8 million for shipbuilding.
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security: $5.7 million for shipbuilding.
- Oklahoma Employment Security Commission: $6 million for manufacturing, aerospace, defense and AI infrastructure.
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce: $5 million for manufacturing, AI, nuclear energy and technology.
- Texas Workforce Commission: $5.4 million for manufacturing, aerospace, biotechnology, defense, energy, IT and shipbuilding.
- Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: $7.3 million for manufacturing and AI.
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services: $3 million for manufacturing, construction, mineral production, finance, IT, health care and nuclear energy.
The Labor Department announced the availability of funding in August and said additional grant rounds may be offered depending on future appropriations.
