The FY 2026 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations technical-assistance competition closed July 6, 2026. WDBs should no longer treat WSIN25-37 as an open grant. Its continuing value is as a model for building stronger pathways for women into Registered Apprenticeship and other nontraditional occupations.
Source + trust record
Source checked as of September 18, 2026. Primary authority: EDD WSIN25-37.
Check result: The PY 2026 WANTO Technical Assistance competition closed July 6, 2026. EDD reported approximately
The FY 2026 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations technical-assistance competition closed July 6, 2026. WDBs should no longer treat WSIN25-37 as an open grant. Its continuing value is as a model for building stronger pathways for women into Registered Apprenticeship and other nontraditional occupations.
0 million available, with awards from $350,000 to $750,000. The brief is retained as a closed-opportunity and pathway-design reference, not an open grant notice. This AI-assisted brief does not receive human legal or compliance review. Official sources control.WDB decision strip
| Status | Action | Primary owner | Current timing | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APPLICATION CLOSED | TRACK + BUILD PARTNERSHIPS | Apprenticeship + Equity / Sector Leadership | FY 2026 competition closed July 6 | Women in trades · Registered Apprenticeship · Pre-apprenticeship · Supportive services |
The bottom line
The funding round is over. The pathway problem is not.
DOL made $10 million available for technical assistance and supportive strategies that increase women’s participation and success in apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations. Grants were expected to range from $350,000 to $750,000. The strongest local takeaway is to design the whole pathway: recruitment, quality pre-apprenticeship, transition into Registered Apprenticeship, retention supports, employer/union practice, and advancement.
What the grant model was designed to strengthen
| Pathway element | Local readiness question |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | Are women hearing about high-quality apprenticeable careers through trusted and targeted channels? |
| Pre-apprenticeship | Does the program have a real transition into Registered Apprenticeship rather than only occupational exposure? |
| Employer / union TA | Are sponsors and employers changing recruitment, supervision, workplace culture, scheduling, or retention practices where barriers exist? |
| Supportive services | Are childcare, transportation, tools, work gear, mentoring, and other barriers addressed where allowable and needed? |
| Retention + advancement | Are participants staying in apprenticeship and progressing toward completion and higher wages? |
Operational considerations for WDBs
- Remove any “apply now” language tied to the FY 2026 round.
- Map local apprenticeship sponsors and pre-apprenticeship programs by occupation and gender participation.
- Identify the stage where women are most likely to leave the pathway.
- Build relationships with nonprofits, labor organizations, apprenticeship sponsors, colleges, and community partners that could lead future work.
- Use current WIOA, apprenticeship, sector, or other resources to test pathway improvements rather than waiting for another WANTO competition.
Watch out
- The FY 2026 competition is closed.
- Do not measure success only by recruitment into pre-apprenticeship.
- Do not treat supportive services as separate from retention when they are the reason participants can persist.
- Do not default to creating a new program when the stronger move may be fixing transition or retention in an existing pathway.
Source authority
Official notice: EDD WSIN25-37 — Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Technical Assistance Grant Program.
Status: The FY 2026 application deadline was July 6, 2026. Future rounds should be checked against current DOL and Grants.gov sources. Partnership-readiness guidance above is a WPU implementation aid. Status checked September 16, 2026.
Response
[…] 2026 WANTO Grant Decision Brief […]