Best Workforce Grants in Pennsylvania

The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program, part of Governor Wolf’s Jobs that Pay Initiative, aims to bolster Pennsylvania's manufacturing sector by funding projects that enhance workforce readiness and entry-level job placements. This initiative focuses on engaging youths and individuals facing barriers, ensuring they are aware of career opportunities in manufacturing. Funds can be allocated for various purposes, including training services, equipment purchases, and program development, thereby supporting local manufacturers and fostering community growth.

The Norfolk Southern Corporate Giving: Thriving Communities Grant Program supports initiatives that promote sustainability, workforce development, and community resilience across a 22-state network. With grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000, the program aims to foster economic development and ensure equal access to basic necessities. Eligible organizations include tax-exempt nonprofits, government entities, and public schools, emphasizing diversity and inclusion in their community-focused efforts.

Arbor Rising Grant, established in 2010, is a NYC-based nonprofit providing unrestricted multi-year funding and capacity-building support to nonprofits focused on alleviating poverty. The grant process occurs every three years, with the next round in 2025 being invitation-only. Eligible organizations must demonstrate high potential and effective leadership, typically operating on a modest budget. Arbor Rising prioritizes applicants from the NYC metro area while expanding to cover the lower 48 US states.

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) employs more than 5,000 workers in 200 offices statewide. Established in 1913, the department originally inspected the working conditions in factories around the state. Over time, the department's responsibilities expanded.

L&I administers benefits to unemployed individuals, oversees the administration of workers' compensation benefits to individuals with job-related injuries, and provides vocational rehabilitation to individuals with disabilities. The department prepares job seekers for the global workforce through employment and job training services for adult, youth, older workers, and dislocated workers. In addition, L&I enforces various laws and safety standards in the workplace and administers the commonwealth's programs for community service by young Pennsylvanians. L&I also promotes economic development and an improved business climate through a variety of initiatives and programs to help Pennsylvania's workforce remain world-class and globally competitive.

Pennsylvania’s Workforce Professionals in Digital Infrastructure (WPDI)

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announces the availability of approximately $2 million in funding through the Workforce Professionals in Digital Infrastructure (WPDI) Grant. One grant will be awarded through a competitive process. L&I developed this grant opportunity as part of a broader, collaborative framework to align workforce strategies with both regional economic development goals and statewide priorities. The WPDI Grant is designed to support the development of a comprehensive investment plan focused on building regional capacity and creating industry-led solutions to ensure Pennsylvanians have the appropriate skills and experiences essential to the construction, power, supply and operations of Pennsylvania’s digital infrastructure—particularly in the data center sector.

Training and workforce strategies funded through this grant will be data-informed and guided by labor market insights. The goal is to ensure that the resulting employment opportunities are high-quality—offering strong wages, benefits, career advancement potential, and alignment with industry standards for worker protections and long-term stability—including those commonly associated with union-covered roles. The selected awardee will create a regional response team of dedicated partners with the expertise, experience and capacity to jointly address the in-demand workforce needs of a data center located in Salem Township, Luzerne County.

Apprenticeships on the Move

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announces the availability of approximately $4,000,000 in funding for Apprenticeships on the Move: Advancing Pennsylvania’s Workforce. 

The purpose of this NGA is to support the development of new registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, or the expansion of existing registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships that strengthen Pennsylvania's workforce and advance the Commonwealth's economic development priorities. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed project addresses workforce needs within the industry or occupation served and supports the goals of Governor Shapiro's Ten-Year Strategic Plan for Economic Development and the Pennsylvania WIOA Combined State Plan.