Washington State Receives $13.2 Million in Federal Grants to Train Workers: $6.5 Million to Help Dislocated Workers, $6.7 Million for an Employer Training Fund
Olympia, Washington — The Washington State Employment Security Department announced on Oct. 26 that it has been awarded $13.2 million in two separate U.S. Department of Labor grants to help workers in Washington receive training and secure jobs.
The two grants are a $6.5 million Rapid Reskill Employment Recovery National Dislocated Worker grant, which assists workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own to transition into employment, registered apprenticeships or paid work-based learning and will fund the project for three years; and a $6.7 million Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grant, which will partially reimburse eligible Washington employers for training their workers in nationally significant industries and will support a 45-month project to establish and operate the fund.
"These grants will help people learn new skills and get back to work," Employment Security Interim Commissioner Martin McMurry said. "This is a welcome opportunity to partner with key employers to train and employ workers in industries critical to our state."
The reskill grant will help workers obtain jobs through employer-connected training in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, construction infrastructure, healthcare, clean technology and other sectors. Through WorkSource, the statewide network serving job seekers and employers, qualified candidates will connect with case managers for individualized planning, supportive services, training coordination and job placement assistance. Current partners include Ironworkers Local 14, the Machinists Institute, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee, the Healthcare Training Fund, local workforce development boards and the Washington Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board.
For the training fund, Employment Security will work with the Washington Workforce Association to start a new statewide, outcome-based training fund to partially reimburse employers for training workers in shipbuilding, nuclear energy, SI infrastructure, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and other industries. Participating employers can be reimbursed when an eligible employee completes training and stays with the company for at least six months. Employment Security and its partners are working with the U.S. Department of Labor during an initial planning phase, and employers can expect additional information about eligibility and how to participate after Jan. 1, 2027.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：Farragutful，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons（华盛顿州议会大厦，Olympia，资料图）
