Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks Act

This bill would fund new job training programs through the Department of Labor. It creates competitive grants to build programs that team up with local employers, pay trainees a living wage during training, last at least 12 weeks, and lead to a recognized credential . Programs must offer tutoring, job-readiness coaching, and supportive services like transportation and child care, plus needs-based stipends to help people finish training . Employers must pay living wages and take part in training activities such as internships and mock interviews. The Department is told to spread grants across different parts of the country and focus on growing fields like construction, disaster relief, manufacturing, IT, finance, shipbuilding/defense, health care, and supply chain work .

The programs must operate in at least 10 states, prioritize people who read at or below a 6th-grade level, and ensure at least half of enrollees are low-income, formerly incarcerated, or from communities that have faced long-term poverty or inequality. Grantees must track results, including earnings before training and six months after, job placement at multiple checkpoints, starting wages, and credential completion rates. The bill authorizes $30 million per year from 2026 through 2029 to run these grants.

Key points

• Who is affected: Low-income workers, people returning from incarceration, and other underserved groups; local employers partnering on training; nonprofits and training networks that can apply for grants .
• What changes: Paid training that leads to credentials, wraparound supports (like child care and transportation), needs-based stipends, and strong employer involvement with living-wage jobs .
• When: Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2026–2029.