Federal and state programs that fund skilled trades training, apprenticeships, and workforce hiring, for workers and employers.
How the $1.4B federal CTE program funds equipment, teachers, certifications, and work-based learning, what’s allowable, what isn’t, and the deadlines that matter.
Read the Perkins V guide →U.S. employers hiring from target groups including veterans, ex-felons, SNAP recipients, TANF recipients, vocational rehab referrals, and long-term unemployed workers.
ℹ Administered via IRS Form 8850. Claim at tax time.
Employers sponsoring or participating in DOL Registered Apprenticeship programs. Credit applies to qualified training wages and related costs.
ℹ Must be a registered apprenticeship program sponsor.
Employers hiring and training WIOA-eligible workers. Agreements arranged through your local American Job Center (workforce board).
ℹ Contact your local workforce board to set up an OJT agreement.
Adults 18+ who meet income or employment barriers. Funds approved training programs on the state ETPL (Eligible Training Provider List).
ℹ Apply through your local American Job Center.
Workers recently laid off, facing plant closure, self-employed and displaced, or recently separated military spouse. No income test required.
ℹ Apply through your local American Job Center or Rapid Response program.
Youth ages 14 to 24 who are low-income, basic skills deficient, in foster care, homeless, pregnant/parenting, offender status, or school dropout. In-school and out-of-school youth programs available.
ℹ At least 75% of WIOA Youth funds must serve out-of-school youth.
Students enrolling in approved short-term vocational programs of 150 to 600 clock hours at eligible community colleges and technical schools. No prior degree required.
ℹ Launches July 1, 2026. Programs must be on ETPL or approved by state.
Workers who lost jobs due to increased foreign imports or company outsourcing. Includes training funds, health coverage, and relocation allowances.
ℹ Must file a TAA petition within 1 year of separation.
Open to anyone meeting minimum age requirements (usually 18+, some trades 16+). Union and non-union programs available in all 50 states across 1,000+ occupations.
ℹ Nationally recognized credential upon completion.
Every state administers additional workforce funding on top of federal WIOA grants. Programs include incumbent worker training, rapid response grants, sector partnership funds, and more.
ℹ Contact your state workforce agency or local American Job Center for state-specific programs.