Scholarships or Grants for Job Retraining

Job retraining grants function as a tool for employers to effectively utilize unemployed or under-employed workers. As the New York Times stated in an article on July 5th, 2009, job retraining has come under recent scrutiny as President Obama plans to direct $1.4 billion to job retraining programs. Those interested in expanding their skills within their career and becoming competitive within their industries may want to consider job retraining programs offered through the U.S. Department of Labor and many other agencies.

Grants

Private foundations have given out grants to help train or retrain health care workers, professionals, academics, factory workers, veterans and many others in trades that require developing skills. Foundations that have offered grants in the past and which you may want to consider are the Public Welfare Foundation, Morgan Chase Foundation, Schwartz Foundation, Robbins Foundation, Newhouse Foundation, and many other organizations. Interested parties will also want to check with the U.S. Department of Labor itself, as it organizes the majority of jobs retraining grants, which are heavily funded by President Obama's stimulus bill.

Grant-Writing Workshops

Those interested in seeking job retraining grants will want to focus on writing a successful grant proposal. Many courses are offered through a variety of organizations, including the U.S. Government Grant organization, the American Grant Writer's association, and often through your local community college. Grant seekers can also find a wealth of information on-line, via sites such as the the Grant Training Center and on web searches for grant writing tips. The U.S. Department of Labor also has a very useful page on grant writing tips, financial reporting and other resources at the third link under References.

Considerations

While job retraining grants may be a very useful tool for assisting unemployed or under-employed workers, they have also come under much scrutiny as of late for being ineffective and of limited benefit. As the New York Times stated in its 2009 article, "Job Retraining May Fall Short of High Hopes," a study performed by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2009 had shown that there was very little difference in getting hired between those who had participated in job retraining programs and those who had not. Furthermore, in a time of economic upheaval, there is very little certainty about what the new needs will be for many different careers. Many mistakenly choose to take part in retraining programs that are too short and may want to consider programs which offer opportunities for job placement to increase their chances of success.

References

• NY Times: "Job Retraining May Fall Short of High Hopes"
• PBS: Job Retraining
• U.S. Department of Labor Job Retraining Grants

Resources

• U.S. Department of Labor Job Retraining Grants