The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of $44.2 million in a fifth round of funding through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative. This funding will help workers access new, high-quality career opportunities and create economic mobility in the Appalachian, Northern Border, and Lower Mississippi Delta regions.
Administered by DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, WORC Initiative grants range from $150,000 to $1.5. million and fund projects to provide jobs, career training, and employment support services to people in the Appalachian, Northern Border, and Delta regions. Successful applicants will design projects that demonstrate collaboration with community partners and coordination with existing economic development strategies.
The purpose of the WORC Initiative is to fund grants that create pathways for economic mobility, address historic inequities for underserved and underrepresented communities, and produce high-quality outcomes for workers who live or work in the Appalachian, Northern Border, and Delta regions. Designed to address persistent economic distress, the WORC Initiative aligns community-led economic and workforce development strategies and activities to ensure long-term economic prosperity and enables workers in the regions to succeed in current and future career opportunities.
The fifth round of funding is made available through a partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Northern Border Regional Commission, and Delta Regional Authority.
Application Deadline: June 13, 2023
