Sponsors (3)
The bill directs modest federal grants to expand paid STEM returnships and subsidize SME hiring—likely improving pay and local job opportunities for prioritized workers and firms, while increasing federal spending and leaving some employers/workers excluded or strained by rules and administrative burdens.
Mid-career unemployed or underemployed skilled workers will gain funded, above-entry-level returnships in STEM with training and pathways to full-time jobs, improving re-employment prospects.
Small and medium U.S. enterprises will receive dedicated grants ($100K–$5M/year) to hire and train skilled workers, lowering employer costs to expand staff and grow capacity.
Participants in grant-funded programs will receive comparable compensation and benefits, increasing income and improving job quality for trainees.
Taxpayers will fund ongoing federal spending of about $50M per year, increasing budgetary outlays that could pressure other priorities.
Some employers and workers (e.g., firms not U.S.-based, firms outside size limits, or workers outside designated STEM sectors) will be excluded from assistance due to eligibility limits.
Grant rules allowing up to 20% of funds to pay existing employees will reduce the share of funds available directly for participant wages, training, or expansion of new slots.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds a competitive WIOA grant program to fund employer-run STEM returnships for mid-career skilled workers and authorizes $50M/year for FY2026–FY2030.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen · Last progress July 16, 2025
Creates a new competitive grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to fund "returnships"—paid, above-entry-level internships, apprenticeships, re-entry, or direct-hire-with-support programs—in STEM fields for mid-career unemployed or underemployed skilled workers. Grants run 3–5 years, fund programs of at least 10 weeks, prioritize rural areas and in-demand sectors, require recipient reporting and a federal evaluation, and are authorized at $50 million per year for FY2026–FY2030.