Best Workforce Grants in Minnesota

About the Hertz Foundation

Empowering the Nation’s Most EXCEPTIONAL Innovators

The Hertz Foundation identifies and empowers the nation’s most exceptional innovators in science and technology, fueling a lifelong community dedicated to solving our most pressing problems.

Hertz Community

Awards & Recognition

We’ve established several awards to recognize and support Hertz community members who are accelerating solutions to significant real-world challenges, either through their individual careers or volunteering to strengthen the Hertz Foundation’s work. In addition to providing financial and professional support at a critical time, we also hope to generate more awareness within the Hertz community and inspire collaborations that build on the momentum.

Hertz Foundation Travel Fund

The Hertz Foundation Travel Fund provides financial support to Hertz Fellows to advance their professional growth through conference travel and interdisciplinary engagement. Awardees receive a lump sum of $2,000 for domestic or $5,000 for international travel.

Supporting professional development

Established in 2025, this funding provides Fellows with critical support to enhance their career and professional development. Funding is designated to support travel to attend technical conferences, interdisciplinary or entrepreneurial convenings and workshops or seminars that catalyze new career paths, research directions or cross-sector collaborations.

The 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program aims to enhance the capabilities of eligible institutions by fostering collaboration with federal and non-federal entities. This initiative supports the White House's commitment to promote excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). By strengthening institutional teaching, research, and extension capacities, the program helps ensure that HBCUs can effectively contribute to innovative solutions in education and community development.

The Providers Clinical Support System – Universities program aims to equip graduate-level health professional students with the necessary skills to understand, identify, intervene, and treat patients with substance use disorders. By focusing on practical training and comprehensive education, this initiative prepares future practitioners to effectively address the challenges associated with substance misuse, ensuring they are well-prepared upon obtaining their licenses.

The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) aims to assist veterans experiencing homelessness by providing tailored employment services. This federal initiative focuses on helping veterans transition to stable employment through job training, case management, and connections to local supportive services. HVRP aligns with national priorities to enhance career outcomes for veterans, ensuring they receive the necessary tools and resources for sustainable employment and integration into the workforce.

Greenawalt Foundation

Building Stronger Communities

At The Greenawalt Foundation, we believe that opportunity is the foundation of prosperity. By supporting organizations that educate, train, and empower people in the trades, we’re helping to build a stronger, more sustainable future for all.

Skilled Trades Grant Opportunities

The Greenawalt Foundation advances opportunities in the skilled trades through funding for accredited pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, workforce training initiatives, and youth career exploration experiences. These programs promote technical readiness and connect STEM education to modern trades careers, building a stronger, more sustainable workforce. Foundation support focuses on expanding access and creating equitable pathways to prosperity for individuals pursuing skilled trades careers. Through these efforts, the Foundation helps develop the next generation of skilled professionals who will shape the future of our communities.

Eligible Grant Categories

• Skilled Trades Training Support
• Pre-Apprenticeship or Apprenticeship Programs
• Youth Career Exploration Camps

The TURTLE Program aims to empower Tribal Entities by fostering a skilled workforce in biomedical research. It supports undergraduate and graduate students in health research, ensuring they complete their degrees and transition into impactful careers. With phased awards, the program emphasizes effective training and mentoring, inviting eligible organizations to apply. Applications will undergo NIH's peer-review process, ensuring only the most meritorious proposals are funded, ultimately enhancing Tribal health research capabilities.

The FY 2027 Department of War Multidisciplinary Research Program (MURI) funds U.S. academic teams engaged in innovative basic research addressing future defense challenges. Established in 1985, MURI emphasizes collaboration across multiple scientific disciplines to tackle complex, DoW-relevant issues. By fostering partnerships among faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students, the program aims to advance the U.S. defense industrial base and nurture a skilled scientific workforce, contributing to significant breakthroughs in military technology and economic growth.

Benefitting people in the places making the AI future possible

The Future is for Everyone Fund

Meta is investing directly in education, community enhancement, workforce development and sustainability projects in locations where we have a data center in the United States.

The AI future we are building is for everyone. That starts with making sure everyone in the places that are home to a Meta data center feel the benefits in their communities. We want students to have bright futures, small businesses to flourish and communities to be prosperous.

Our commitment to the communities we call home.

The Future is for Everyone Fund supports investments and programs that address local community priorities in the United States, where we have a Meta data center:

We invest in the people and shared spaces that help a community thrive. That includes the parks, trails, and gathering places where neighbors come together, the technology and access that keep them connected, and first responders - like police officers, firefighters, and paramedics — who keep our communities safe.

We support the people and organizations that power local economies - helping workers gain the skills, certifications, and hands-on experience the modern economy rewards, and backing initiatives that create jobs and give a community its character.

We fund the programs, spaces, and tools that help learners of every age discover what they're capable of - from early literacy and the arts to hands-on science, technology, and problem-solving - and we equip the educators who make it happen with the resources to bring their most ambitious lessons to life.

We invest in the long-term health of the land, water, and wildlife that make our communities home - supporting things like habitat restoration and resource conservation that connects people to the natural world.

What is the Future is for Everyone Fund?

The Future is for Everyone Fund is Meta’s $1 billion commitment to invest directly in the U.S. communities that are home to a Meta data center. The Fund supports local schools, nonprofits, and community organizations and is organized into four focus areas that reflect local priorities: Community Enhancement, Economic Vitality, Education, and Sustainability. It builds on the over $70 million in grant funding we’ve provided to our data center communities since 2011.

The National Parks Business Plan Internship aims to enhance the operational health of national parks through a graduate-level program that trains students in business management and NPS operations. Participants will engage in substantive analysis, gain insights into park management, and promote federal careers in conservation. This initiative seeks to involve underrepresented graduate students from disciplines such as business administration and public policy, fostering a commitment to stewardship of public lands.

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, managed by the Department of War, aims to enhance the U.S. military's technical workforce by offering competitive scholarships for STEM degrees. With a funding cap of $1.3 billion over ten years, the program prepares scholars for critical roles in national defense, ensuring a pipeline of skilled professionals. Since its inception in 2005, over 8,000 scholarships have been awarded, fostering a strong connection between education and service in defense-related fields.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5412 - Determinants of Workforce Retention in Public-Sector Water Utilities

Grant Information

• Quantify the relative influence of compensation, pension stability, mission alignment, schedule flexibility, leadership support, career development opportunities, and other factors on employee retention in public-sector water utilities.
• Identify and analyze key impediments to retaining talent, including structural, cultural, compensation-related, and organizational barriers.
• Identify and benchmark retention best practices from sectors outside the water industry to assess transferability and develop case studies of high-retention organizations to distill replicable strategies and measurable success factors.

The Rare Impact Fund, founded by Selena Gomez, is dedicated to transforming mental health support for young people. With a commitment to mobilizing $100 million, the fund aims to enhance access to mental health services and promote a stigma-free community. Through public Requests for Proposals, the initiative seeks to strengthen the nonclinical youth mental health workforce, ensuring effective support systems that reflect the diverse backgrounds of youth. This innovative approach fosters lasting change in mental health care.

About Regions

Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas.

Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

Matching Gifts Program

Full-time associates and recent retirees (up to 5 years after retirement) of Regions and its affiliated companies can request a Regions Matching Gift to eligible organizations. The recipient organization must be a 501(c) or 170(c) organization located in the Regions footprint (except for accredited educational institutions, which may be located anywhere in the United States) and has a primary mission that clearly fits one of these categories:

• Economic and community development: Supporting economic prosperity through affordable housing, job creation, small-business development, homebuyer education and retention, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, food security/hunger relief.
• Education and workforce readiness: Supporting career prosperity through student competency and skill building, college and career readiness, educational access and success, credential building and employment and educator training and resources.
• Financial wellness: Supporting financial prosperity through K-12 and college financial education, adult and workforce financial empowerment.
• Arts and culture: Organizations that promote visual or performing arts, historic or science museums, zoos, botanical gardens, libraries, parks or public radio and television.
• Service members and Veterans: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting U.S. military service members and veterans.
• Individuals with disabilities: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting individuals with disabilities.

Regions Matching Gifts for Recent Retirees

Retirees of Regions and its affiliated companies are eligible for the Matching Gift Program for up to 5 years after retirement (the gift date must be within the first 5 years of retirement). Regions will match donations of $25 or more, up to a total of $1,000 per year per retiree.

The Regions Community Affairs team will contact the organization on your behalf to verify the gift and review eligibility.

About Regions

Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas.

Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

Matching Gifts Program

Full-time associates and recent retirees (up to 5 years after retirement) of Regions and its affiliated companies can request a Regions Matching Gift to eligible organizations. The recipient organization must be a 501(c) or 170(c) organization located in the Regions footprint (except for accredited educational institutions, which may be located anywhere in the United States) and has a primary mission that clearly fits one of these categories:

• Economic and community development: Supporting economic prosperity through affordable housing, job creation, small-business development, homebuyer education and retention, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, food security/hunger relief.
• Education and workforce readiness: Supporting career prosperity through student competency and skill building, college and career readiness, educational access and success, credential building and employment and educator training and resources.
• Financial wellness: Supporting financial prosperity through K-12 and college financial education, adult and workforce financial empowerment.
• Arts and culture: Organizations that promote visual or performing arts, historic or science museums, zoos, botanical gardens, libraries, parks or public radio and television.
• Service members and Veterans: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting U.S. military service members and veterans.
• Individuals with disabilities: Organizations that have a primary mission of supporting individuals with disabilities.

Regions Matching Gifts for Full-Time Associates

Regions supports organizations important to our associates through the Regions Matching Gifts Program. This program, which is open for use for all full-time Regions associates, affiliate associates and recent retirees, allows you to make an even greater difference to your favorite charities by doubling your tax-deductible contributions to these organizations. 

The Walser Foundation

Every car you buy or service at Walser fuels something bigger.

A portion of every sale supports the Walser Foundation, funding post-secondary education, career training, and workforce development initiatives. These programs help shape the next generation of innovators and change-makers in the communities we serve.

The Walser Foundation invests in brighter futures through grants, scholarships, and select sponsorships that empower generations with the stability and mobility to shape their own futures and the community around them.

Community Partners Grant

The Walser Foundation accepts grant applications from designated 501(c)3 organizations based in Minnesota and Kansas that focus on post-secondary education and workforce development.

Funding Priorities

The Walser Foundation is focused on existing grant partners in 2026. We are unable to accept new applicant inquiries until 2027. As we shift our giving focus to post-secondary education and workforce development, 2026 is a transition year dedicated to exiting and returning partners. Our giving will be directly aligned with the following areas:

• Career and technical education
• Career-connected learning opportunities
• College and career readiness
• Internships
• Job placement programs
• Scholarships
• Secondary and post-secondary education
• Technical apprenticeships

About AWS

We Move Welding Forward

Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society is a nonprofit organization with a global mission: to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying.

By fostering knowledge, embracing change, and providing real-world opportunities through scholarships, fellowships, and workforce development, AWS provides the tools to help members succeed—and to inspire future generations of welding professionals.

AWS Future Leaders Program 2026

Become an AWS Future Leader

The AWS Future Leaders Program is a career-transforming opportunity for early-career professionals looking to step into leadership within the welding industry.

Gain unparalleled access to industry experts, contribute to AWS’s governance, and shape the future of welding. Our mission is to empower the next generation of leaders with diverse perspectives, ensuring the welding industry reflects the needs of tomorrow.

Why join the AWS Future Leaders Program

Shape the future of welding. Gain mentorship, leadership experience, and industry connections while representing the next generation of welding professionals.

U.S. Small Business Administration

SBA works to ignite change and spark action so small businesses can confidently start, grow, expand, or recover. Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.

Manufacturing grants

SBA provides grants to help empower small manufacturers.

Empower To Grow (E2G) Manufacturing in America Grant

The goal of this grant is to provide workforce development in key manufacturing industries, such as timber, energy, aluminum, steel, digital, and automotive.

SBA is looking for organizations that will provide technical proficiency and essential skills, including operating machinery, quality control, welding, utilizing industrial software, and workplace safety. 

AGC Education and Research Foundation

Thanks to visionary volunteer leadership of AGC industry leaders, the AGC Education and Research Foundation, founded in 1968, has for 50 years made good on its commitment to support the future of our industry through its robust scholarship program and innovative projects.

Workforce Development Scholarship

In 2015, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and its Build Your Future initiative made a generous contribution to help fund the first Workforce Development scholarships for students pursuing craft and technical programs, allowing 19 applicants to receive the inaugural scholarships. Scholarships are $1,000 per year, renewable for up to two years.

This is the application for the Workforce Development Scholarship. This scholarship is for students pursuing associate degrees, technical training or certificates to enter the construction industry. Please review the Criteria Page to ensure you qualify for the Workforce Development Scholarship. Scholarships are $1,000 per year, renewable for up to two years. If you are attending a four year university and intend to earn a Bachelor's degree please make sure to apply for our Undergraduate Scholarship application.

About All Points North Foundation

All Points North Foundation is dedicated to navigating communities upward.

All Points North Foundation was founded in 2011 by a family who believes passionately that everyone has a “true North” – a place of achievement – and that everyone should have equal opportunity and access to realize their goals.

Our Vision

We envision a nation where the middle school years are seen as an important, vital time in the lives of youth, and where the public middle school education experience in underserved communities measurably improves

We also envision a nation where the integration of solar benefits families, local economies and the environment.

Our Priorities

All Points North Foundation funds grantees in two areas – public middle school education (grades 6-8) and solar – that have the power to help communities nationwide navigate upward.

Grant Making

All Points North Foundation seeks collaborative partnerships with grantees in our two priority areas.

Solar Energy

All Points North Foundation is focused on finding ways to significantly advance the penetration of solar through education, job training and use of solar electric technologies in the United States.

All Points North Foundation has three priority areas:

Providing solar and workforce development training for Tribal communities to expand and diversify the solar job pipeline.

Working with small- to medium-sized science centers to engage students, families and local communities on the benefits and science behind solar.

Providing solar installations to nonprofit organizations that build high-quality, safe and affordable residential housing, offsetting energy costs and enabling cost savings for households.

The cost of solar has dropped dramatically over the last decade, however the upfront cost of going solar remains a hurdle for most families, communities and nonprofits.

All Points North Foundation does consider funding solar projects outside of these focal areas, but the programs must demonstrate how solar will have a broader impact on local communities (e.g., economic, social or environmental), as well as showcase the potential for replication across the nation.

Target Foundation

At Target Foundation, we envision a world where all families and communities have the resources they need to determine and realize their own joy in life. It’s a reality that is out of reach for far too many families as they struggle for access to economic opportunity, financial stability and the kind of empowerment that lifts up their communities. We believe we have a responsibility to work to remove barriers and to help create that access, resulting in a world where all families can thrive.

Community Engagement Funds

Community Engagement Funds (CEF) is a community grant program that empowers Target stores and distribution center leaders to make meaningful, localized giving decisions that meet the needs of the communities where our team members and guests live, work, and thrive.

• Organizations cannot apply for the same program in both grant cycles.
• Organizations are encouraged to apply during the cycle that best aligns with their program timing.
• A maximum of 10 applications is allowed per organization at any time.

CEF will prioritize nonprofit programs and initiatives aligned to its focus areas:

• Thriving Families; Basic needs and youth development..
• Vibrant Neighborhoods: Community vitalization; Community and green spaces.
• Emerging Creative & Culture: Cultural partnerships and creative programming.
• Economic Opportunity: Workforce development.

The EDU Core Research (ECR) program by the National Science Foundation invites proposals for fundamental research that enhances STEM education. Focused on various research areas, including STEM learning and workforce development, it supports diverse educational activities for all age groups. The funding ranges from $500,000 to $2,500,000, with project durations of 3 to 5 years, emphasizing the importance of justifying funding levels in proposals to ensure alignment with research maturity.

Who We Are - CAP Foundation

Mission

Our mission is to improve people’s health by:

• Developing tomorrow’s pathology leaders through awards for advanced training, research, and education.
• Mobilizing pathologists to expand health equity in medically underserved communities within the US and globally.

Vision

Our vision is that pathologists are equipped to bridge health disparities and enhance outcomes globally.

CAP Foundation History

For over 50 years, the CAP Foundation has granted millions of dollars to support pathology education, research, training, and travel grants, with the purpose to:

• Enhance the role of the pathologist in the provision of medical care.
• Advance pathology through the education of the medical community.
• Encourage the clinical application of research developments.

Our Core Values

• Advancement: We are committed to pushing the boundaries of pathology and patient care through scholarships, grants, and educational programs.
• Collaboration: Through effective partnerships, we significantly enhance our capacity to fulfill our mission.
• Excellence: We are dedicated to achieving the highest standards in pathology education, research, and community service.
• Service: Service reflects our core mission of improving health equity by providing access to healthcare and pathology expertise, particularly in underserved communities.

Presidential Pathology Scholarship

This scholarship allows the sitting CAP President to personally support educational creativity, expand awareness of pathology, and connect communities through the CAP Foundation’s mission to develop tomorrow’s pathology leaders. This scholarship is established in honor of each sitting CAP President, as a commitment to the CAP Foundation’s efforts to advance the specialty by supporting creative projects that encourage interest in or expand the reach of pathology. Up to two scholarships will be supported each year. Ranging from $500-$1,500 per awardee, to be used toward the selected project(s).

Each year the sitting CAP President will select a focus area to support based on at least one of the CAP Foundation’s Five (5) Pillars. CAP Foundation Five Pillars:

• Global: Expands global pathology access, capacity, training, and equity.
• Future Leaders: Builds pipeline through learning, leadership, mentorship, and awards.
• Ethics, Research, Innovation: Advances ethical practice, discovery, innovation, and diagnostic excellence.
• Advanced Training: Delivers specialized skills through grants, workshops, and roundtables.
• Community Engagement: Increases visibility and connection with patients, partners, and the public.

Every Kindness is a Gift

Dollar Tree Gift Card Program 2026

Every Kindness is a Gift is a gift card grant program made possible through the generosity of Dollar Tree and managed by the team here at Gift Card Bank. We are a nonprofit organization that specializes in the distribution of gift cards and our mission is to improve well-being and build financial stability by supporting people through their time of need.

Through Every Kindness is a Gift, nonprofit organizations and Title I schools located in the 48 contiguous states may apply to receive a grant of Dollar Tree gift cards.

Gift cards received through these grants are meant to be distributed directly to individuals and families in need. A primary goal of the program is to give gift card recipients the dignity of choice by empowering them to shop for what they need themselves. By putting gift cards directly in the hands of our neighbors in need, we are able to increase access to essentials like food, school supplies, paper products, cleaning products, and hygiene items.

In 2026, there will be two rounds of grant distributions. In each round, we will award a number of grants between $2,500 and $10,000.

Round One is a summer distribution. Gift cards awarded in Round One will arrive in late June, while kids are on break and back-to-school is around the corner. Round Two is a holiday distribution. Gift cards awarded in Round Two will arrive in early November, as the end-of-year holidays approach.

We know that these are times of year when budgets are tight. Through these gift card grants, we hope to connect individuals and families directly to the essential resources they need during difficult months.

Angel Post Deployment Test Program

Through a collaborative partnership with UNCF, XYZ Corporation has established a scholarship program to help STEM students get on the fast track to a rewarding career. In addition to direct financial support, Intel-sponsored scholarships offer the benefits of exposure to potential job opportunities, networking with fellow scholars, insight to other Intel scholarships, research, training opportunities, and access to Intel mentors offering support on technical, non-technical, cultural, and dissertation-related needs.

About BlackRock

We’re a global asset manager and technology provider dedicated to helping more and more people experience financial well-being. We help millions of people invest to build savings that serve them throughout their lives. The BlackRock Foundation which funds and partners with organizations that strengthen financial security for more people,

BlackRock Future Builders

BlackRock Future Builders is a $100 million philanthropic initiative funded by The BlackRock Foundation to expand economic opportunity and power the next generation of America’s skilled trades workers. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process, The Foundation seeks to support U.S. nonprofit organizations (i.e., registered 501(c)3 organizations) delivering or supporting high‑quality skilled trades training.

This competitive grant opportunity operates in parallel to other BlackRock Future Builders partnerships and is intended to surface additional, regionally grounded solutions across the skilled trades ecosystem. Organizations may propose direct worker training programs or capacity‑building efforts that enable systems to function more effectively and at greater scale. This first round RFP will be administered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit that transforms U.S. education and workforce systems.

Focus Areas and Solutions

Applicants may propose worker training or capacity‑building solutions aligned to skilled trades workforce development.

• Worker training interventions may include direct service proposals such as pre-apprenticeship or career navigation programs, workforce training programs, apprenticeship programs, or wraparound participant supports that are supportive of training persistence and completion.
• Capacity-building interventions are organizational and system-focused, rather than in direct service of participants, and may include, but are not limited to, proposals such as ecosystem-building, demonstration projects, technology or tool adoptions, or research, among others.

Lilly Foundation

To extend Lilly’s charitable reach and impact, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) was established in 1968 and is supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation supporting programs that align with its philanthropic priorities.

Grantmaking Approach

The Lilly Foundation’s work is guided by a charitable vision of a world where every person has an opportunity to live their healthiest life. Through grantmaking focused on Lilly Foundation’s charitable vision, grants can serve as a catalyst for closing gaps and empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

All proposals should demonstrate clear alignment with at least one focus area and include charitable outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the Foundation’s long-term charitable goals.

Global Health, K-12 STEM Education and Economic Mobility Grant

Focus Areas

Global Health

Lilly Foundation, through its charitable grants, aims to support permissible charitable efforts to improve access to quality healthcare for resource-limited communities in low- and lower-middleincome countries (L/LMICs) and in the United States. Strengthening access to care is essential for enhancing community well-being and supporting economic stability in resource-limited settings.

The Global Health focus area aims to close gaps in quality healthcare by supporting charitable solutions that improve access, bring care closer to where people live, and address the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in resource-limited settings. To the extent permissible, the Foundation prioritizes charitable efforts related to cardiometabolic health in resource-limited settings.

K-12 STEM Education

The K-12 STEM Education focus area aims to close the gaps for students from low-income communities by supporting programs that foster new pathways and pipelines to STEM education through focused K-12 efforts, concentrating on the critical middle school years. The Foundation’s K-12 STEM Education grants are focused on initiatives that benefit Marion County, Indiana.

Economic Mobility

The Economic Mobility focus area supports charitable and educational programs that strengthen workforce readiness, postsecondary and skills-based educational pathways, and housing stability to promote long-term prosperity. This support is focused on Marion County, Indiana, with the goal of improving economic opportunity for low-income communities and advancing community well-being.

Building the Future Workforce Challenge

Awarding $5 million and the opportunity to test bold, tech‑forward solutions that strengthen the advanced manufacturing and industry technician workforce—today and for the future.

About the Challenge

Caterpillar knows preparing the workforce for the future is urgent. Communities, employers, and industry need new ways to close advancing skill gaps. The Building the Future Workforce Challenge invites fresh perspectives from all sectors to rethink training. Up to five teams will be awarded $1 million each for sustainable, tech‑forward solutions that strengthen today’s—and tomorrow’s—advanced manufacturing and industry technician talent pipelines.

What types of solutions are you looking for?

The Building the Future Workforce Challenge aims to identify, test, and scale innovative, sustainable solutions that will address today’s and tomorrow’s advanced manufacturing and industry technician skill gaps. A core requirement of any solution is that it remains relevant amid evolving technology—ensuring that breakthrough innovation and human potential rise together.

Strong proposals for Building the Future Workforce Challenge will meet four criteria outlined in the scoring rubric, and proposed solutions must focus on one or more of the following solution categories for Building the Future Workforce Challenge: