October 4, 2022 – The unprecedented demands that the pandemic placed on the nation’s nurses – combined with retirements and an aging workforce – have greatly increased the need for nursing workers in the U.S.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses are needed from 2020 to 2030, and that employment opportunities for nurses will grow at 9 percent, faster than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026.
To help address challenges to developing a skilled healthcare workforce, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $80 million funding opportunity through its Nursing Expansion Grant Program to support nursing training programs designed to expand the pipeline of nursing professionals while advancing equity and creating pathways for workers to fill these jobs and improve the nation’s healthcare system.
Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, these H-1B Skills Training Grants emphasize training people from historically marginalized and underrepresented populations to bring greater employment equity in underserved communities and improve healthcare workforce diversity. These grants also emphasize using research and evidenced-based practices, supportive services, sector strategies, and training that address barriers to becoming nurses.
Driven by partnerships between public and private sector entities, these grants will support organizations that use worker-centered industry strategies to train nursing instructors or create nursing professional career pathway programs. Applicants must propose training program models that attract workers, unions, worker organizations and employers while building partnerships with community-based organizations and training institutions.