This could be great news for manufacturers who are having a hard time finding skilled workers: The U.S. Department of Labor announced a program for up to $150 million in funding to train unemployed workers for high-demand industries.

The Job-Driven National Emergency Grant program will award grants to states ranging from $500,000 to $6 million to expand worker training programs and help get unemployed workers back on the job quickly. States must apply by May 27.

In an article appearing in the Buffalo News, Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez said that he often hears from employers who need skilled trade workers as their older workers retire. “There’s a bright future in America for people who want to work with their hands,” he said. We couldn’t agree more!

Read the Labor Department’s news release here.

Categories: Advocacy

Tags: Department of Labor, industry, job training, jobs, Labor Secretary, skilled workers, skills gap, state grants, technology, Thomas E. Perez, trade workers, unemployment