To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the Secretary of Labor to award grants to community colleges for high-quality workforce development programs.

This bill would have the Department of Labor run a competitive grant program for community colleges to create or grow high‑quality job training. The goal is to help people earn recognized, “stackable” credentials in high‑skill, high‑wage, in‑demand fields, and make those credentials portable across regions and industries.

Funding is authorized at $65 million per year from 2026 through 2031. Each grant can last up to four years, with chances for more four‑year grants if a college meets its performance targets. Colleges must partner with employers in in‑demand industries, include work‑based learning like apprenticeships, serve adults and workers who are changing jobs, and offer career services and needed tools. They must also share clear, easy‑to‑compare information about credentials and job results .

• Who is affected
  • Students and workers (including adults, dislocated workers, incumbent workers, and new entrants), community colleges, and local employers in in‑demand fields.
• What changes
  • Competitive grants to build or expand programs that lead to recognized, stackable credentials in high‑demand, good‑paying jobs.
  • Required employer partnerships, hands‑on learning (like apprenticeships), career coaching, and open reporting on credentials and outcomes so people can compare programs .
  • Colleges may reduce or eliminate students’ unmet cost of attendance; equipment purchases are allowed but capped at 15%; admin costs are capped at 7% .
  • Priority goes to colleges serving people with barriers to employment or helping current workers build key skills, and to programs that award credit for prior learning.
  • Results matter: the Department sets performance goals, reviews progress each year, posts results and data publicly, and helps colleges improve if they fall short .
  • Funds must add to, not replace, other public funding for these activities.
• When
  • Funding runs 2026–2031; grants last up to four years with possible renewals; a full effectiveness review will happen within four years after the first grant is awarded .