There is now $2.5 million in grant funding available to encourage the training of women and minorities in the construction trades, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced.
Funding comes down the pike through the New Jersey Builder’s Utilization Initiative for Labor Diversity (NJBUILD) from the NJDOL Office of Apprenticeship Women and Minorities in Construction Trades. Within the workforce development system, pre-apprenticeships serve a critical role in helping people acquire career-specific skills, advance work-readiness, and connect them to longer-term career opportunities, according to the application guidelines.
How and When to Apply
Key dates:
- Nov. 19, 10 a.m.: Virtual technical assistance (TA) workshop (pre-registration required by noon on Nov. 18; applicants must attend). Click here to register.
- December 5: Letter of Intent due by noon
- December 12: Application due by noon
View complete application instructions and the full Notice of Grant Opportunity here.
See all available grants on NJDOL’s Grant Opportunities website.
What is the Grants Program
The Women and Minorities in Construction (WMIC) grant program supports the training of minority and women residents of New Jersey in the construction trades. The program seeks to eliminate economic barriers commonly associated with investing in skills training and work-readiness, and to connect minority populations and women to quality career and training opportunities in the building and construction industry.
“The NJBUILD program underscores our state’s commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering underrepresented groups in our workforce,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “This vital funding provides women and minority residents with the tools needed to build successful careers in the construction industry, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and resilient economy in New Jersey.”
First Round of Grants This Year
This is the Round 1 of grant funding for fiscal year 2026, which will provide women and minority participants with training to prepare for placement in Registered Apprenticeships or full-time, long-term employment in the construction industry or building and construction trades occupations, the NJDOL said in a press release.
The program also provides quality support services to ensure successful placement and retention in employment.
Since FY24, NJDOL has awarded approximately $8.9 million in NJBUILD funding to 19 organizations to support the training of approximately 809 women and minorities in the construction trades.
“The NJBUILD grant to train women and minorities specifically for the construction trades was instrumental in Myers Crossing LLC’s mission to ‘level the playing field’ for minorities and women in the construction and construction-related industries,” said Debbie M. Myers, CEO of Myers Crossing LLC, a NJBUILD grantee.
“However, it does so much more than that. It helps those going through challenging times with the ability to gain the skills necessary to enter employment and ultimately remove them from other government subsidies to self-sufficiency,” Myers added.
Who Qualifies For NJBUILD Grants?
Funding from this NJBUILD grant announcement is intended to support training in the construction and building trades industry, including clean energy and lead abatement occupations. Occupations within the construction craft, administrative, support, or operational occupations are also acceptable. This includes professional titles and skilled trades.
This funding opportunity seeks proposals that strengthen access for women and minority group members seeking career development leading to jobs in the construction industry.
In accordance with program requirements, applicants must meet the following program participant eligibility requirements:
- Female or a minority individual who is 16 years of age or older
- New Jersey resident authorized for employment in the United States
- Legitimate interest in full-time employment in the construction industry
- Registered with a One Stop Career Center (OSCC)
The following organizations are eligible to apply for the NJBUILD grant as a lead applicant:
- Any employer based in New Jersey or with a New Jersey presence;
- Workforce Intermediary Sponsors;
- Employer/Trade Associations;
- Any labor organization that represents workers in the occupation for which the apprentices will be trained;
- Labor/Management Partnership (public or private);
- New Jersey Local Education Agency (LEA);
- Public vocational schools within New Jersey;
- Public high schools within New Jersey;
- Two- and four-year institutions of higher education;
- Public or private non-profit organizations, including community-based;
- Business or trade organizations representing a particular trade, group of trades, contractors, or employers;
- Community-based organizations;
- New Jersey local Workforce Development Boards;
- Economic development organizations;
- State, Local, and County governments within New Jersey;
- Faith-based organizations; and
- Any other private educational or training entity that is on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).
About NJBUILD
The mission of the NJBUILD program is to promote outreach, occupational skills training (including but not limited to pre-apprenticeship training in the construction trades and registered apprenticeship) for female and minority residents of New Jersey.
The goal is to prepare them for entry into a Registered Apprenticeship or long-term employment that provides economic self-sufficiency in a construction-related job, including lead abatement occupations.
As established by NJDOL, each applicant must include a plan on how they will meet each of the following four objectives:
- 1. Engage contractors in the development and provision of construction-related occupational skills training.
- 2. Provide training in the following areas:
• Workforce readiness/employability skills instruction; and,
• Occupation-specific construction-related trades training. - 3. Ensure participants earn a minimum of one industry-valued credential.
- 4. Assist participants with job placement services targeting employment in a construction industry job paying $17 per hour or more. Examples of acceptable employment or Registered Apprenticeship placements include:
• Building and construction trades occupations (including clean energy or lead abatement occupations),
• Administrative, support, or operational occupations within the construction industry. USDOL Registered Apprenticeship programs within the construction industry.