Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations
Grant: Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO)
Agency: U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Division: Employment and Training Administration
Deadline: This competition is closed. The deadline was May 21, 2012.
Description: The purpose of the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) program is to provide technical assistance to employers and labor unions to assist them in placing women into apprenticeships in nontraditional occupations. The DOL will fund projects that provide education and training services to low and medium skill and/or low and medium income women which will help as these women are placed into approved apprenticeship programs. Industries of focus for this solicitation include advanced manufacturing, transportation and construction; including “green” jobs related to those three industries.
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) play a large role in this grant program by conducting innovative projects to improve the recruitment, selection, training, employment and retention of women in apprenticeable occupations. Included in these projects is the development of pre-apprenticeship curriculum which covers career-specific training and industry awareness coupled with preparatory basic skills such as literacy, math, work-readiness skills and English as a second language.
To ensure that women served by WANTO grants have access to a full range of supportive services and training, as well as to specific employment opportunities, this grant program has adopted a consortium-based approach. The DOL requires each application to be submitted by a partnership of at least one CBO, Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA) and registered apprenticeship program (RAP) sponsor. Greater details of what each of these entities covers is found in the program notice.
Fit for Public Broadcasting: This is an excellent fit for public media stations as Community Based Organizations. Public media stations that have experience in workforce training development, especially those with a focus on women will find an exceptionally good fit with this program. While stations are eligible to apply as lead CBO as part of a consortium, stations are also encouraged to partner with an already established consortium and have the opportunity to share your innovative expertise in workforce training.
Eligibility: Only CBO, LWIA and RAP consortia are eligible to apply. The CBO must be the lead applicant and will maintain the fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant.
While CBO, LWIA and RAP are required members of the consortium, DOL encourages applicants to include additional consortium members which can provide expertise or services to enhance the consortium’s ability to meet the goals.
Anticipated Funding: A total of $1.8 million is anticipated in this funding round. Six grants of up to $300,000 are expected to be made for a project period of up to two years.
How to Apply: Applications for this program may be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, or in hard copy by mail or hand delivery. Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy must also provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc. Proposals must be submitted to:
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Division of Federal Assistance
Attention: Latifa Jeter, Grant Officer
Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-10
200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716
Washington, DC 20210
Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the grant deadline.
Resources:
Program Notice
DOL Women’s Bureau Website
2010 Grantees
