U.S. Department of Commerce Sees Success in Workforce Training Initiative
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced significant progress in its workforce development initiative, known as the Good Jobs Challenge. Founded under the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan, this program has effectively trained and placed over 12,000 American workers in new roles. The Good Jobs Challenge represents the Department’s first major endeavor into large-scale worker training, fueled by a $500 million investment aimed at enhancing locally-led training schemes nationwide.
The initiative seeks to bolster workforce systems and forge industry partnerships, thus offering Americans the necessary training to acquire today’s in-demand skills and secure good-paying positions. Now in its second year, the Good Jobs Challenge distributed $500 million among 32 grantees to foster job training across various sectors, such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and IT.
“President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is rooted in empowering Americans with the opportunities they need to secure family-sustaining jobs in the communities that raised them. The Good Jobs Challenge embodies that mission, and by hitting this milestone, we’re showing American families what these policies look like in action,” noted U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “By bringing together diverse stakeholders, including employers, labor unions, educational institutions, and community-based organizations, the Good Jobs Challenge has trained and placed more than 12,000 American workers into quality jobs in industries across the nation that will define the 21st century economy, and ensure the U.S. will continue to out-build, out-innovate, and out-compete the rest of the world.”
The Good Jobs Challenge also aims to uplift communities that have historically been overlooked, providing participants with roles that offer competitive wages and substantial benefits. Notably, half of the program’s participants come from communities of color. Black workers are nearly twice as likely to be represented among participants compared to the national workforce average, while Native American workers are participating at more than five times the average rate. In construction programs, women comprise 21% of participants, significantly higher than the 11% representation in the wider industry.
“The Good Jobs Challenge is placing thousands of workers into quality jobs, creating new opportunities for Americans,” stated Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “In its second year of implementation, the Good Jobs Challenge is delivering strong outcomes and providing locally-led training and support to fill in-demand jobs, expand career growth for workers, and strengthen local economies across the country.”
Furthering its commitment, the EDA announced in July 2024 a subsequent funding phase for the Good Jobs Challenge, allocating an additional $25 million for workforce training programs focused on jobs vital to U.S. competitiveness. The upcoming FY2024 funding will support sectoral partnerships in developing training programs that directly lead to employment, with grantees expected to be revealed by winter 2024. Awards are projected to range from $1 million to $8 million.
