Highlights from the President's FY15 Department of Labor Budget Request

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget would provide $11.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor (DOL), a 1.9 percent decrease from FY14 enacted levels. In addition, the administration’s Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI) would provide $2.4 billion not accounted for in the departmental budget to expand the agency’s workforce training and apprenticeship programs. Most DOL programs related to high-tech and manufacturing industries reside within the department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), which would receive $3.3 billion (3.4 percent increase).

The Workforce Innovation Fund, which offers competitive grants to test new strategies and replicate successful practices in workforce training, would receive $60 million (26.8 percent increase). At least $10 million of these funds would be dedicated to strategies targeting younger workers. The administration is requesting $15 million for a new Sector Strategies program, which would award grants to states, consortia of states or regional partnerships to develop employment and training strategies focused on particular in-demand industry sectors in regional economies. The Job Training for Employment in High Growth Industries program is funded through H-1B visa fee collections and no annual appropriations and offers grants to training programs focused on high-growth fields. Under the request, the program would receive $125 million (0.4 percent increase).

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program, which received $464 million in FY14, would be succeeded by a new Community College Job-Driven Training Fund program.  The replacement program is part of OGSI and funding is not incorporated into the DOL budget. If approved, the new program would receive $1.5 billion in FY15 to offer competitive grants to partnerships of community colleges, public and private training entities, industry groups and employers to launch training programs. Of that amount, $500 million would be set aside to help create new apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields. The fund is intended as a four-year initiative, eventually awarding $6 billion in grants.

The OGSI package also includes $750 million to restore prior cuts in DOL job training and employment services and $100 million to support the creation of state paid leave programs.