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The Department of Labor last week (DOL) released the third Solicitation for Grant Applications(SGA) for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program. The $474.5 million to be awarded under the SGA will support capacity-building grants to community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education – including consortia of two or more institutions – to provide education and training programs of less than two years to improve the skills of workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade. The grants will be administered by DOL in partnership with the Department of Education.
An important feature of this third solicitation is the requirement that all applicants demonstrate employer engagement by utilizing evidence-based training models such as sector-based strategies to develop partnerships with employers and employer groups. Successful applicants must also use labor market information to focus training on local economic needs, and rigorously evaluate their programs. DOL has directed that funds will also be used to encourage community colleges to better track data on graduates’ employment and earnings, to create employment results scorecards to help students choose an educational track, and to promote advanced online and technology-based job training tools.
The TAACCCT program was originally established as part of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) reauthorization under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As part of the 2010 budget reconciliation bill, Congress appropriated $2 billion for the four-year period including Fiscal Years (FY) 2011-2014 to support the program. In previous years, $500 million has been made available for the TAACCCT program; however, this year’s grant has been reduced as a result of sequestration.
Grant applications for single institution applicants are due June 18, 2013 and on July 3, 2013 for consortium applicants. For more information on the TAACCCT program, visit www.doleta.gov/taaccct/.
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