Sponsors (2)
The bill invests federal funds to expand immersive-technology workforce training—boosting student job-readiness, institutional capacity, employer pipelines, and accessibility for people with disabilities—while creating a recurring federal cost, grant design limits that may hinder long-term sustainability, and competitive/economic barriers for rural, small, or under-resourced providers.
Students and jobseekers gain access to immersive-technology training programs that increase hands-on skills and improve job-readiness for in-demand sectors.
Community colleges and career and technical education (CTE) schools receive federal support to expand modern training offerings and build instructor capacity, enabling more institutions to offer immersive learning.
Employers who partner with grantee programs gain a pipeline of graduates with industry-aligned skills, easing recruitment and potentially reducing hiring/training costs.
Taxpayers fund $50 million per year for up to 10 years with no specified offsets, increasing federal spending and contributing to the budgetary cost of the program.
Grant structure limits (five-year awards and prohibition on repeat funding) may hinder sustained program development and long-term scaling, disrupting continuity for successful programs.
Rural areas and small providers without employer partners or data capacity may be less competitive for awards, risking uneven geographic access and exacerbating existing equity gaps.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Lisa Blunt Rochester · Last progress September 18, 2025
Creates a competitive grant program at the Department of Labor to fund education and training career pathways that use immersive technologies (VR/AR/MR/extended reality). Grants go to industry or sector partnerships that include colleges, community colleges, career and technical schools, or consortia, must be awarded within one year of enactment, run no more than five years, and must deliver integrated training via immersive technology with accessibility for people with disabilities. Requires grantees to report outcomes beginning two years after grant start and the Secretary to report to Congress biennially; reserves 1–5% of funds for independent evaluation and technical assistance; directs publication of best practices during each grant; and authorizes $50 million per year for FY2026–FY2035 to carry out the program.