A practical guide to Department of Labor grants for workforce development, apprenticeship, youth employment, and reentry, who is eligible, key programs, and how to apply.

For organizations doing workforce development, apprenticeship, youth employment, reentry to work, or worker protection, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the largest federal funders in the country.

DOL grants support a wide range of work that helps people get and keep good jobs, from apprenticeships and sector partnerships to programs serving veterans, justice-involved individuals, dislocated workers, and youth. The funding reaches state workforce systems, community colleges, nonprofits, and industry consortia.

This guide covers how DOL grants work, the major programs, and how to win them.

TL;DR: Quick Answers

What does DOL fund? Workforce development, apprenticeship, sector strategies, youth employment, reentry, veterans’ employment, dislocated worker services, and worker protection initiatives.
Who can apply? State and local workforce agencies, nonprofits, community colleges, apprenticeship intermediaries, industry partnerships, and tribal entities.
What are the major programs? WIOA formula grants, Workforce Pathways for Youth, Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO), Apprenticeship Building America, Strengthening Community Colleges, YouthBuild, and many discretionary competitions.
What’s the timeline? Federal pacing; many programs have annual cycles.

How DOL Funding Works

Like other federal grants, DOL funding flows in two main streams:

Formula grants under WIOA. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides formula funding to state and local workforce systems, distributed through American Job Centers, local Workforce Development Boards, and partners.

Discretionary (competitive) grants. ETA (Employment and Training Administration) and other DOL components run national competitions for nonprofits, community colleges, intermediaries, and partnerships.

Most DOL funding flows through the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), with additional grant streams from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), Women’s Bureau, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and others.

Major DOL Programs

A non-exhaustive list of recurring and recent programs:

WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth formula grants.
YouthBuild. Funds nonprofits serving opportunity youth with construction training and education.
Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO). Workforce services for justice-involved adults and youth.
Workforce Pathways for Youth. Out-of-school-time workforce programs.
Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants. Funds community colleges to expand industry-aligned programs.
Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) and related apprenticeship competitions.
State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAE) grants.
Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP).
Susan Harwood Training Grants. Worker safety and health training.
Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grants.
Dislocated Worker National Reserve grants. Rapid response to layoffs and disasters.

Check DOL’s grants page annually for current opportunities; the portfolio shifts with appropriations and policy priorities.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility varies; common applicants include:

State workforce agencies, local Workforce Development Boards, and American Job Centers
Nonprofits (especially YouthBuild, REO, HVRP, and intermediary roles)
Community colleges
Industry partnerships, sector-strategy intermediaries, and apprenticeship intermediaries
Tribal entities
Faith-based organizations for many programs

Read each NOFO closely, see how to read a grant RFP.

How to Apply

Identify the right program. DOL programs differ sharply in population and approach; align carefully.
Register on SAM.gov and Grants.gov early.
Document local labor-market need. Use BLS data, state LMI, industry partnership input, and local workforce-board priorities to ground your statement of need.
Build employer partnerships. Many DOL programs are stronger with credible employer commitments; gather letters of support.
Use evidence-based practices. DOL increasingly favors evidence-based workforce models.
Build a clear logic model, outcomes, and evaluation plan. DOL focuses on placement, retention, and wages.
Prepare a realistic budget with match where required.
Plan for reporting. DOL performance reporting is data-heavy (PIRL and related systems).

Tips for a Competitive DOL Application

Lead with measurable employment outcomes. Placements, retention, and wages are what reviewers want to see; activities aren’t enough.
Show employer demand. Specific industry partners, with letters and roles, anchor a workforce proposal.
Coordinate with the local workforce system. Alignment with Workforce Development Boards, American Job Centers, and state plans strengthens proposals significantly.
Show participant-centered design. Especially for opportunity youth and reentry populations, wrap-around services and supports matter.
Plan sustainability. DOL wants to see how the work continues beyond the grant.
Demonstrate data and reporting capacity. Workforce performance reporting is non-trivial.

How Grantboost Helps With DOL Applications

Workforce funding now spans DOL, ED, HHS, and state systems, often for overlapping populations. Grantboost continuously scans federal and state funding sources and surfaces scored, mission-matched opportunities, so DOL grants sit alongside related ED, HHS, DOJ, and foundation workforce funding in one pipeline.

Drafts come back in your organization’s voice (see training AI on your past proposals), structured around each DOL program’s specific requirements.

Try Grantboost free and build stronger DOL proposals.

DOL Grants: A Guide to Department of Labor Funding