The United States announced USD 150 million to invest in training for middle-to-high-skilled H-1B occupations in key sectors in the American economy.

The program is to upskill the present workforce and train a new generation of workers to grow the future workforce and the sectors include information technology and cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and transportation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The coronavirus pandemic has not only caused disruptions in the labor market but also forced many education and training providers and employers to rethink how to deliver training. 

In this grant program, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration set out to streamline funding and resources to encourage a more integrated workforce system that will encourage applicants to provide an innovative mix of training strategies, leveraging innovative modes of training delivery, including online, distance and other technology-enabled learning. 

Through local public/private partnerships, grantees will deploy training to provide individuals in their communities with skills necessary to advance career pathways to employment in middle- to high-skilled H-1B occupations within key industry sectors. 

Training models will include a broad range of classroom and on-the-job training, customized training, incumbent worker training, Registered Apprenticeship Programs, and Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is challenging communities to think as ‘One Workforce,’” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch. “In the current job environment, it is critical that local organizations work as one instead of independent parts of a process. Our goal is to create seamless community partnerships to build career pathways for local job seekers to enter middle- to high-skilled occupations in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and transportation sectors.”

Public-private partnerships will leverage resources across federal, state, and local funding streams, as well as from the private sector to support training, employment services, and supportive services to maximize access to employment opportunities.