State gets $13.2 million to retrain workers, help employers pay for training

The Washington Employment Security Department has received $13.2 million in two U.S. Department of Labor grants to help workers train for and land jobs, including money for a new fund that will partially reimburse employers for training their workers.

A $6.7 million Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grant will pay to set up a statewide, outcome-based fund, run with the Washington Workforce Association, that reimburses eligible employers for training workers in shipbuilding, nuclear energy, AI infrastructure, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and other industries. Employers can be reimbursed when an eligible employee completes training and stays with the company for at least six months. Training may include customized instruction, on-the-job training, registered apprenticeships and partnerships with community and technical colleges.

The department and its partners are in an initial planning phase with the Labor Department. Employers can expect information about eligibility and how to take part after Jan. 1, 2027. The project is set to run 45 months.

A separate $6.5 million Rapid Reskill Employment Recovery National Dislocated Worker grant will help people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own move into jobs, registered apprenticeships or paid work-based learning over three years. Workers will be connected to employer-linked training in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, construction infrastructure, healthcare, clean technology and other sectors, with case managers through WorkSource.

“These grants will help people learn new skills and get back to work,” said Martin McMurry, the department’s interim commissioner. “This is a welcome opportunity to partner with key employers to train and employ workers in industries critical to our state.”

More information is available from WorkSource Washington and the Washington Workforce Association.