Overview
The Stanislaus County Workforce Development agency and Stanislaus 2030 team seek proposals for grants of $50,000 to $195,000 to enhance the manufacturing workforce development ecosystem in Stanislaus County. A total of $1,110,000 million in grant funding is available for distribution to projects that provide accessible pathways to employment in the manufacturing industry, develop or enhance deep industry partnerships that will drive economic growth and opportunities for community members to attain economic mobility, develop feedback loops between ecosystem partners to enhance program outcomes and coordinate regional efforts, and provide local job seekers with tangible information about opportunities to enter into and progress in the manufacturing industry. This opportunity prioritizes partnerships and collaboration across training providers, employers, and intermediary organizations.
Background
Stanislaus 2030 leads collective action towards implementing the economic and workforce initiatives identified in the County’s Investment Blueprint through coordination and aligning our efforts across governmental agencies, private-public partnerships, educational institutions, businesses, service providers, and community groups for the greatest impact for all in our community. As part of the Investment Blueprint, Stanislaus 2030 seeks to strengthen the manufacturing workforce ecosystem by aligning education and training programs with the current and future needs of manufacturing.
To support grantee success, Stanislaus 2030 is partnering with Bienestar Community Economics to provide technical assistance throughout the grant period.
Eligibility
Educational institutions, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and school districts located in Stanislaus County with experience in implementing manufacturing workforce strategies are eligible to apply. All projects must be carried out within Stanislaus County.
Priority Occupations
For the purposes of this grant, the manufacturing sector is defined using the Bureau of Labor Statistics code NAICS 31-33. This RFP specifically focuses on manufacturing occupations within the sector, where day-to-day tasks involve the transformation of raw materials into finished goods through a series of automated and hands-on processes. Sample occupational groups are engineering occupations, production occupations, and logistics occupations. Other occupations that support the manufacturing sector such as accountants and auditors, sales representatives, and computer user support specialists are not the focus of this RFP. Occupations that are not traditionally included in the manufacturing sector but have significant overlap in skill sets or daily tasks and can be demonstrated to have advancement or transfer opportunities into the manufacturing sector will be considered, such as HVAC and electricians.
Applications are required to demonstrate that they will target in-demand, high-quality manufacturing jobs in the region. Examples of these jobs include: machine operator, assembly and manufacturing supervisors, quality assistance and quality control technicians and inspectors. For projects that target jobs outside of the examples provided, applicants should provide labor market data demonstrating the demand for the roles and/or letters from employers documenting internal demand and specific commitments related to hosting work-based-learning and/or hiring program graduates.
Grant Focus
These grants aim to strengthen local talent pipelines into the manufacturing industry by investing in strategic partnerships, programs, and activities. Successful investments will achieve two key impacts:
- Develop, improve, and expand work-based learning, pre-apprenticeships, and apprenticeships that prepare individuals in the County for manufacturing careers.
- Forge connections among a system of partners (including education, training, and support service providers) to facilitate the exchange of information, talent, and economic opportunities, thereby bolstering the local manufacturing industry.
Applicants must propose project outcomes that directly align with the goals and priorities outlined in this grant opportunity.
Goals
- Increase On-the-Job Training and Work-Based Learning: Develop or expand work-based learning opportunities (including On-the-Job Training (OJT), paid internships, apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships) linked to new or existing courses and programs that prepare individuals for living-wage jobs in the region.
- Align Career Pathways and Stackable Credentials with Industry Demand: Improve courses and pathways leading to certificate or credential attainment and job placement in manufacturing or related industries. This can involve:
- Creating stackable credentials utilizing existing education and training programs.
- Developing dual enrollment pathways that result in certificate/credential attainment or progress toward degree completion.
- Establishing credit for prior learning processes that gives credit for skills and competencies learners may already hold, and accurately places them into the appropriate training/education course or program.
- Forming employer partnerships that lead to work-based learning or direct job placement opportunities.
- Establish a Regional, Industry-Recognized Skills, Competency, and Credential Model for Manufacturing: Develop a local industry initiative to convene manufacturing stakeholders to learn, provide input, and adopt a regional competency model. This model must:
- Identify existing and projected industry needs.
- Establish a process for local industry to recognize certificates, credentials, or other training that meets their talent development needs.
- Collect information on emerging policy or advocacy needs.
- Increase Community Access to and Awareness of the Manufacturing Industry: Develop and provide career navigation services to help community members understand pathways into and advancement opportunities within the manufacturing industry. This includes:
- Offering feedback and advising to regional training programs.
- Updating and distributing job seeker-focused materials and resources for career awareness and navigation.
Priorities
- Strong Employer Partnerships for Talent Development: This includes commitments related to recruitment, onboarding, identifying critical skills and roles for industry success, and commitments to interview, hire, or provide paid training through "earn and learn" strategies.
- Adoption of Manufacturing Industry Skills, Competencies, and Recognized Credentials by local employers.
- Connecting Local Talent with Regional Job Opportunities in manufacturing and related industries.
- Strategic Partnerships Among Education and Training Providers and Community-Based Organizations: These partnerships should aim to improve outcomes in certificate and credential attainment and accelerate access to quality jobs. Examples include:
- Establishing a Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) process that grants credit for existing skills and competencies, accurately placing individuals into appropriate training or education programs.
- Developing recruitment and retention partnerships with organizations that effectively reach the target population.
Evaluation Criteria
- Alignment to goals and priorities: Applicants must clearly explain how their project will meet the stated goals and priorities, and contribute to the intended impact of this grant opportunity.
- Strength of partnerships: Applicants must provide evidence of the commitment level of their partnerships. This includes, but is not limited to: letters of support detailing partner commitments, clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each partner, and any leveraged resource sharing.
- Population-Specific Approaches: Provide a clear description of the project plan and the applicant’s capacity to meet the needs of their intended target population. This must include explicitly stating the population to be served and detailing the specific strategies and approaches to address their needs effectively, both directly or through partnership with other organizations.
- Capacity to Implement Proposed Activities: Provide a clear description of the organization’s relevant work experience, demonstrated outcomes, and overall ability to successfully implement the proposed project plan.
- Project Outcomes: Clearly state the expected outcomes of the project, describe how the proposed activities will directly lead to these outcomes and align with the goals of this grant opportunity, and the organization’s experience or capacity to track these outcomes.
- Sustainability Plan: Clearly explain how the proposed project activities will be sustained, expanded, or contribute to the long-term strengthening of the manufacturing industry beyond the grant period.
Allowable Use of Funds
Applicants are allowed to submit more than one project proposal.
Funding
A total of $1,110,000 is available and will be distributed across multiple awarded projects. Applicants may request between $50,000 and $195,000, with budgets expected to reflect the scope and scale of the proposed project.
Key Dates
- An informational session will be held on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 1 PM. Click here to join.
- The deadline to submit questions about the grant and the proposal submission process is Friday, August 22, 2025.
- Grant proposals are due by Friday, September 19, 2025, at 5 PM.
- Awards will be announced the week of October 6, 2025.
- Projects will commence upon contract execution, with an anticipated start date of Monday, October 27, 2025.
- All funds are anticipated to be deployed by October 2026.
Proposal Instructions
Please submit your proposal by clicking the project application button below. Proposals need to be submitted by September 19, 2025 at 5pm. If you have any questions please email scwdgrants@stanworkforce.com
Proposals will be evaluated based on alignment to program goals, strength of partnerships, population-specific strategies, capacity to implement, project outcomes, and sustainability.
