Education and Labor Departments Launch First Joint Grant Program
March 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Claire Cummings
The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor have announced the first grant competition under a new interagency agreement to coordinate federal postsecondary and workforce programs. The Talent Search Program competition marks a structural shift in how the federal government funds the intersection of education and employment.
"We are proud to partner with the Department of Labor to streamline postsecondary and workforce education programs to better serve students," said Dr. David Barker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. Dr. Henry Mack, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, added that the initiative ensures "every American has access to the tools and training they need to succeed in today's economy."
What the Partnership Funds
The competition supports programs that help students pursue high-quality postsecondary education or training, including Registered Apprenticeships — a category that signals the federal government's growing emphasis on non-traditional credential pathways. Applications are managed through the Department of Labor's GrantSolutions platform under reference number 361528.
Additional competitions are expected in spring and summer 2026, suggesting this first round is a pilot for a broader funding pipeline. Organizations that establish relationships with the joint program early may gain structural advantages as the partnership scales.
Why This Interagency Model Matters for Grant Seekers
Historically, education and workforce grants operated in parallel silos — institutions applied to Education for academic programs and to Labor for job training, often funding overlapping populations through disconnected systems. The new interagency agreement consolidates these streams, which could simplify the application landscape for community colleges, workforce boards, and nonprofits that straddle both domains.
The practical implication: organizations should begin mapping their programs to both Education and Labor priorities simultaneously. A workforce training program that also improves postsecondary completion rates, or a college access initiative that incorporates apprenticeship pathways, will align more naturally with this joint funding structure.
Grant seekers working in education and workforce development can track upcoming competition announcements at grantedai.com. For a deeper analysis of the interagency partnership model, see the Granted blog.