Sponsors (3)
The bill invests sustained federal funding to expand accessible, employer-aligned immersive workforce training (benefiting students, community colleges, and employers) while imposing a modest long-term federal cost and competitive/administrative design features that may disadvantage smaller providers and complicate long-term program continuity.
Students (including service members and veterans) gain access to immersive-technology training tied to in-demand jobs, improving employment and career prospects.
Provides sustained federal investment ($50M/year, FY2026–2035) to support predictable, multi-year grants that enable program continuity and scaling of training initiatives.
Community colleges and career-technical schools that partner with employers receive funding priority, strengthening employer-aligned credential pathways that can lead to hires.
Taxpayers fund $50 million per year for a decade, increasing federal spending and creating opportunity costs relative to other priorities.
Competitive grant design is likely to favor established providers and larger institutions, disadvantaging smaller or new providers and limiting geographic and program diversity.
Grant recipients are barred from receiving repeat funding for the same purpose, which may interrupt long-term programs and make sustained services harder to maintain after one grant term.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a DOL competitive grant program to fund up to five-year immersive-technology career pathway and training programs aligned to employer needs and accessibility standards.
Introduced January 7, 2026 by John W. Mannion · Last progress January 7, 2026
Creates a Department of Labor competitive grant program to fund up to five-year projects that use immersive technology (for example, virtual or augmented reality) to build career pathways and job training that lead to employment and economic self-sufficiency. Grants may support training for students (including service members and veterans), make programs accessible to people with disabilities and others with barriers to employment, and train instructors in immersive technology. Awards must be made from appropriated funds within one year of enactment.