Labor Dept. Awards $81.5M to Rural Job Training in 11 States
Federal grants targeting Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border regions fund industry-driven training across 13 projects in high-growth sectors.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced $81.5 million in workforce development grants Thursday, directing funds to 13 projects across 11 states serving predominantly rural communities in the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border regions. The awards, administered through the Employment and Training Administration, represent the seventh round of the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities initiative.
The grants are designed to align training with employer demand in high-growth sectors including skilled trades and construction, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, domestic energy production, and business and professional services. Funding will support Registered Apprenticeships alongside other workforce programs for new workers, displaced workers, and those seeking to upgrade existing skills.
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Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling framed the awards as part of the broader economic agenda set by the Trump administration. "These grants ensure those in our rural communities have a pathway to the training they need for in-demand jobs that feed a family and strengthen our supply chains," Sonderling said in the department's announcement.
The WORC Initiative operates in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Northern Border Regional Commission. Among the largest individual recipients are United Steelworkers Local 689 in Ohio at $8 million, JobForward Inc. in Vermont at nearly $8 million, Tuskegee University in Alabama at $7.5 million, and Delta Health Alliance Inc. in Mississippi at just under $8 million. Grants range from roughly $3.5 million for Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri to the $8 million ceiling.
The initiative aims to reduce economic out-migration by equipping rural residents with credentials for family-sustaining wages, allowing them to remain in their home regions rather than relocate for opportunity. Continue reading at DOL News Releases and Briefs.
