DOL Awards $43M to Seven States for Workforce Skills Training
Federal grants target shipbuilding, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Total investment across two rounds reaches $129 million in 21 states.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday it is directing $43 million in grants to workforce agencies in seven states, funding employer-led training programs in industries including shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, nuclear energy, and aerospace. The awards represent the second round of the Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund, administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration.
The program reimburses employers on an outcome-based model, meaning payments are tied to demonstrable training results that meet fast-changing skill demands and local labor market needs. More than $10 million of the newly announced funding is designated for occupations tied to domestic shipbuilding and the broader maritime supply chain.
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Combined with the first round — more than $86 million awarded to 14 states in September 2025 — the cumulative investment now exceeds $129 million across 21 states, with over $30 million specifically earmarked for the shipbuilding sector. Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling framed the grants as part of the administration's broader push to rebuild domestic industrial capacity and move high-skill jobs back to the United States.
The seven second-round recipients are Colorado, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, each receiving amounts ranging from roughly $4.6 million to $6.74 million. Industries covered by the overall program also extend to cybersecurity, healthcare, information technology, quantum computing, infrastructure, and domestic mineral production.
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