Department of Labor Invests $65 Million in Community College Training Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a major investment of $65 million in community colleges across the country, aiming to expand access to high-quality Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Suworkforce training in critical industries. The funding, distributed through the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program, will support 18 colleges across 14 states.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su emphasized the Biden-Harris administration's focus on job-guaranteed training programs. "Our Strengthening Community Colleges grantees run programs that help lift whole communities," Su said. "This is how we fundamentally shift workforce training programs to better invest in improving the lives of America's workers."

The grants will fund training programs in several key sectors aligned with the administration's Investing in America agenda, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and infrastructure-related industries.

Notable recipients include Little Priest Tribal College in Nebraska, JF Drake State Community and Technical College in Alabama, and the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District in California, which received over $5.6 million.

The initiative particularly emphasizes support for diverse institutions, with funding going to a Tribally Controlled College, a Historically Black College and University, and five Hispanic Serving Institutions. These institutions, along with their 23 consortia members, will work to enhance career pathway programs and improve outcomes for marginalized and underrepresented populations.