A long-awaited federal program that directs Pell grant dollars toward short-term workforce training officially got underway on July 1, but the rollout is off to a slow start as most programs struggle to qualify.
While the funding is now technically available, only 11 states have put together the necessary guidelines and frameworks that allow colleges in their states to actually apply for the money.
The initiative was designed to help workers gain job skills through shorter, more focused training programs — rather than traditional multi-year degree paths — using federal financial aid that was previously unavailable for such courses.
Despite the program’s launch, many training programs across the country are finding it difficult to meet the requirements needed to access the new federal dollars, leaving the promise of expanded workforce education largely out of reach for now.
