U.S. Department of Commerce Announces New $25 Million Good Jobs Challenge Notice of Funding Opportunity

This funding opportunity builds on the success of the first round of the Good Jobs Challenge awards, funded by the American Rescue Plan, and this round will invest $25 million into high-quality, locally-led workforce training programs that lead to good jobs.  

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) the Department is launching will support sectoral partnerships that bring together diverse stakeholders including employers, labor unions, educational institutions, training organizations, community-based organizations, and others to develop high-quality training programs that lead directly to a good job. EDA anticipates making 5-8 awards ranging from $1 million to $8 million, which are anticipated to be announced in winter 2024. 

The FY 2024 Good Jobs Challenge NOFO is targeted at jobs that advance industries critical to U.S. economic competitiveness and the competitiveness of the applicant’s region, including jobs that do not require a four-year college degree. Applicants must implement training for jobs that advance key technology focus areas as established by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which include advanced energy, biotechnology, robotics, and semiconductors. EDA will prioritize applicants that include worker voice through partnerships with labor unions or worker-serving organizations, support for workers at all levels of certification and degree status, and prioritize workers that are adversely impacted by changes in technology.  

The $25 million investment builds on the inaugural Good Jobs Challenge, which was funded at a historic $500 million level through the American Rescue Plan. In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced 32 winners of the inaugural Good Jobs Challenge that aimed to train and place 50,000 workers in good jobs. These awards are advancing job training in a wide range of sectors, including agriculture and food production, energy and resilience, healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology. As the Good Jobs Challenge concludes its second year of implementation, it is delivering strong outcomes and looks to hit 10,000 job placements later this year.