Women in Apprenticeship & Non-Traditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance Grant Program

View the Full Press Release

To continue its support of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy investments, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $5 million to fund up to 14 grants to attract and support women in gaining access to Registered Apprenticeship programs in industries where they are underrepresented such as construction, manufacturing and cybersecurity.

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grants are administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration and Women’s Bureau.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon will highlight the announcement today during their visit to Nontraditional Employment for Women, a New York City community-based organization, as part of the administration’s “Investing in America” tour.

Nontraditional Employment for Women is a 2022 WANTO grant recipient.

The Investing in America agenda, which includes legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPs and Science Act, is creating millions of good-paying jobs in renewable energy, transportation and broadband infrastructure sectors, and the Biden-Harris administration is helping workers access the training and develop the skills needed to fill these jobs.

This funding opportunity will help address the significant underrepresentation of women in Registered Apprenticeship in skilled trades, such as construction, and in emerging, high-growth industries like manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity and healthcare. Currently, women only comprise approximately 14 percent of Registered Apprentices while they account for nearly half the U.S. labor force.