The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of up to $40 million in funding in the Rural Healthcare Grant Program to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country. 

Prior to the coronavirus crisis, the U.S. had approximately 6.8 million job openings, many of which required skilled labor in the healthcare industry. Research suggests that the U.S. not only has an ongoing shortage of healthcare workers, but it also has a shortage of skilled workers for the jobs that are available.

The Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), which administers the program, seeks to address this shortage through the release of funding to invest in successful, employer-driven, training models and community partnerships to establish sustainable programs to address rural healthcare shortages. Through the investment in these rural communities, ETA aims to help individuals gain the skills necessary to fill these vacancies and allow employers to find skilled workers more readily. 

Rural Healthcare Grants will be awarded to partnerships of public and private sector entities. Eligible lead applicants include employers in the healthcare sector; nonprofit healthcare organizations affiliated with hospitals and other medical facilities; healthcare industry and/or occupation associations; organizations designated as “Primary Care Associations” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State or Local Workforce Development Boards and federally recognized Indian/Native American Tribal Governments; and Native American Program entities eligible for funding under Section 166 of WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3221). 

The Department encourages applicants to generate at least 15 percent of the total amount of requested funds as leveraged funds to support the grant project. The Department also encourages applicants to incorporate new and emergent technologies – such as interactive simulations, personalized and virtual instruction, educational gaming or digital tutors – into the educational component of their training design.