DOL Announces the Community-Based Job Training Grants

On March 15, the Department of Labor announced the release of the Community-Based Job Training Grants (CBJTG) funding opportunity. With $125 million in available funds, these competitively awarded grants are intended to build the capacity of community colleges to train workers to develop the skills required to succeed in high growth/high demand industries. Grants will be used to train and educate incumbent workers, dislocated workers, or unemployed workers which will lead to a recognized credential such as an educational degree, an occupational license, or an industry sponsored certification. Ensuring that this training will result in job placement, the CBJTG funding opportunity stipulates that all training curriculum will have to be matched to employment opportunities currently available. Grant awards are expected to range from $1 million to $3 million while “consortium applicants” (three or more eligible applicants) may request $5 million. Last year, the Department awarded $123 million to 68 community colleges and community-based organizations and supported projects in 36 states.

Eligible applicants for the CBJTG include:

• an individual Community or Technical College, such as a public community college, a nonprofit community college, a tribally controlled college, or a tribally controlled university;  
• a Community College District;
• a State Community College System;
• a One-Stop Career Center in partnership with its Local Workforce Investment Board, that specifies one or more community or technical colleges where education/training activities will occur; or
• an applicant proposing to serve an educationally underserved community without access to community or technical colleges.

The Department of Labor has a number of resources available to assist interested parties with the application process including a web-based toolkit as well as a pre-recorded Webinar  that will be available on April 6, 2010.

The closing date for applications is April 29, 2010.  Review the application instructions in the March 15, 2010, Federal Register.