Deadline: 31-Mar-2022
The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) is issuing this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to announce its intent to solicit multiple grant applications for opportunities to support Workforce Development Innovation Initiatives.
The purpose of the grants is to support innovative workforce development solutions for residents of the District of Columbia (District) to increase their success rate of attaining and sustaining employment that forges a path to the middle class and further stimulates the District’s economy.
Areas
DOES will accept unsolicited proposals for the following program areas:
- Office of Youth Programs – Proposals to serve youth between the ages of 14-24 years.
- Division of State Initiatives – Proposals to serve adults that are returning citizens or that have barriers to employment.
- Labor Market Research and Information – Proposals that focus on conducting research on labor market participation, access to jobs or employment, equity and inclusion, and other economic factors.
- Workforce and Federal Programs – Proposals to serve adults and out-of-school youth that are unemployed or underemployed that are seeking training and job placement support.
- Labor Standards – Proposals to increase awareness of labor laws and enforcement.
- Unemployment Insurance – Outreach and Engagement – Proposals to conduct outreach, engagement, and support to unemployed District workers.
- Paid Family Leave – Proposals to conduct outreach, engagement, and support to employers and district residents.
- DC Infrastructure Academy – Proposals to assist District residents in need of the infrastructure industry and infrastructure jobs with leading companies in high-demand field.
Categories
- Work Readiness: Organizations are required to assist participants with successfully developing soft skills needed to navigate the working environment.
- Job Readiness: Organizations are required to provide technical employability skills training that provide at a minimum: career / job search techniques paired with creating and completing a LinkedIn profile, preparation of cover letters and resumes, and mock interviews.
- Occupational Skills: Organizations are required to assist participants with successfully developing vocational skills that lead to proficiency in performing actual tasks and technical functions that lead to an industry recognized credential.
- Job Placement: Organizations are required to assist participants with finding livable wage employment that provide at a minimum: Career counseling, cover letter and resume preparation, interviewing techniques, and mock interviews.
- Research: Research is the process of evaluating a product or service and encompasses both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The data obtained from conducting research should provide important information to identify and analyze the need of District residents.
- Education and Outreach: Increase awareness and access to services that the community would not generally have. Effective outreach services can be used as a valuable tool to connect employers and job seekers with employment opportunities, promote training opportunities, and develop relationships.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants shall be a non-profit, for-profit, institutions of higher education, unions, and trade, technical, public, private, charter or parochial schools that are eligible to do business with the District Government.
For more information, visit https://does.dc.gov/page/grant-opportunities