Washington Employment Security Wins $13.2 Million in Two U.S. Labor Grants for Worker Training
Washington State's Employment Security Department announced in Olympia on October 26 that it was awarded $13.2 million in two U.S. Department of Labor grants to help Washington workers receive training and secure jobs. The first is a $6.5 million Rapid Reskill Employment Recovery National Dislocated Worker grant, funding a three-year project to help workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own transition into employment, registered apprenticeships or paid work-based learning. The second is a $6.7 million Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grant that will partially reimburse eligible Washington employers for training their workers, supporting a 45-month project.
'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.' Through WorkSource, the statewide network serving job seekers and employers, qualified candidates for the reskill grant will connect with case managers for individualized planning, supportive services, training coordination and job placement assistance, in sectors including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, construction infrastructure, healthcare and clean technology.
Current partners for the reskill grant 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 and Education Coordinating Board. The training fund grant, run in partnership with the Washington Workforce Association, will partially reimburse employers when an eligible employee completes training and stays with the company for at least six months, covering customized instruction, on-the-job training, registered apprenticeships and partnerships through community and technical colleges, in industries such as shipbuilding, nuclear energy, SI infrastructure, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
Employment Security said it is 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 January 1, 2027.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于华盛顿州伦顿的波音737总装线（资料图）。美国国务院发布，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Boeing 737 assembly line in Renton, Washington (file photo). Released by the U.S. Department of State, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
