The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $80 million in funding through its Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program, according to its news release.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will highlight the announcement during her travel this week as part of the administration’s “Investing in America” tour. 

Pending availability of funds, the department intends to make a total of approximately $200 million available for the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant program over multiple competitive rounds of funding.

“The U.S. will need a skilled and diverse workforce to fill the good-paying jobs created by the historic investments in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to increase domestic manufacturing, rebuild roads, upgrade transportation systems, provide clean water, provide affordable high-speed internet, and deliver cheaper and cleaner energy,” said Brent Parton, acting assistant secretary for Employment and Training. “This grant program represents a down payment to ensure we have the skilled workforce we need by investing in workforce partnerships that build equitable pathways to good infrastructure careers.” 

The grants will enable partners in the public and private sectors to develop or scale workforce training programs to prepare job seekers in advanced manufacturing; information technology; and professional, scientific, and technical service occupations that support renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors. These include occupations in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors; broadband and transmission expansion; advanced manufacturing, including biomanufacturing; and electrical, industrial, and civil engineers and technicians who facilitate the design, construction, modernization, and maintenance of the nation’s infrastructure. 

Nonprofits, labor organizations, public and state institutions of higher education, economic and workforce entities, and state, county, and local governments may apply for grants ranging from $500,000 to $5 million. Applicants must choose one of the following tracks for this grant program: 

• Development track: Establishes local and regional partnerships that will implement new sector-based training programs across infrastructure-related sectors. 

• Scaling track: Expands an existing local or regional training partnership model, with demonstrated success in a specific infrastructure-related sector, to the state or national level.