DOL Awards $43M in Skills Training Grants to Seven States
The Labor Department's second-round grants target shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear energy workforce development across seven states.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday it is distributing $43 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to seven states, directing federal dollars toward employer-led training programs in shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and nuclear energy sectors.
The grants, administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration, reimburse employers on an outcome-based model — meaning payments are tied to training results that meet evolving skill demands and local labor market needs. More than $10 million of the current round is specifically designated for occupations tied to domestic shipbuilding and the broader maritime supply chain.
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Colorado, Indiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington each received the maximum allocation of approximately $6.74 million. Montana received roughly $4.84 million and Nebraska approximately $4.63 million. Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling framed the awards as part of a broader reindustrialization push, saying the grants are intended to ensure workers can fill high-skilled positions in industries the administration views as strategically vital.
This second round follows a September 2025 first-round distribution of more than $86 million to 14 states. Combined, the two rounds commit more than $129 million across 21 states, with over $30 million directed at the shipbuilding industry alone. The full list of supported industries also includes cybersecurity, quantum computing, healthcare, infrastructure, and domestic mineral production.
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