The Department of Labor is offering the WANTO Technical Assistance Grant to encourage employment and retention of women in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations.

This program aims to provide technical assistance (TA) to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in both apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations (A/NTO), specifically in the following ways:

• Developing (establishing, expanding, and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship (includes Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, and other apprenticeship programs), or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO;

• Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and/or

• Setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services (as defined in section IV.E.3) for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.

Applicants may propose to provide technical assistance to support women’s participation and success in the full range of industries in which women are historically underrepresented or where women are disproportionately concentrated in the lower-wage occupations. Such industries include but are not limited to advanced manufacturing, construction, energy, health care, information technology, finance, and transportation.

Current and Former Grantees
Recipients of funds awarded under previous WANTO Act grant programs are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. Former WANTO Act grantees must explain, in their “Statement of Need” (see Section IV.B.3), how their proposed TA activities are materially different from those already performed using funds awarded through a WANTO Act grant program. Though materially different, these activities can still build on past performance activities, strengthening or bolstering them, to achieve further results.

This program aims to provide technical assistance (TA) to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in both apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations (A/NTO), specifically in the following ways:

• Developing (establishing, expanding, and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship (includes Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, and other apprenticeship programs), or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO;

• Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and/or

• Setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services (as defined in section IV.E.3) for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.

Applicants may propose to provide technical assistance to support women’s participation and success in the full range of industries in which women are historically underrepresented or where women are disproportionately concentrated in the lower-wage occupations. Such industries include but are not limited to advanced manufacturing, construction, energy, health care, information technology, finance, and transportation.