Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ETA 21 02
Pathway Home 2 (FOA ETA 21-02) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CFDA 17.270) designed as a pilot program to strengthen the workforce pipeline for people who are incarcerated and nearing release. The core idea is to start delivering workforce services while participants are still in state correctional facilities or local/county jails, then maintain momentum after release by transitioning them into community reentry programs in the places they will return to. The program is intentionally job-driven, meaning it is built around real local hiring needs rather than generic training, and it aims to reduce recidivism by connecting participants to stable employment pathways.
A central feature of the opportunity is the requirement to build strong relationships with local employers and use those partnerships to shape training and services. Applicants are expected to create clear connections to businesses that are willing to hire, advise on skills needs, and help ensure the program prepares participants for jobs that actually exist in the local labor market. Those employer connections are meant to influence program curriculum, work-based learning options, and the selection of occupational training so that participants gain skills that employers value and recognize. The grant also emphasizes the importance of foundational employment preparation, such as job readiness, employability skills, and job search strategies, alongside more technical training.
The grant places a major compliance and planning responsibility on applicants when it comes to occupational training choices. Programs must ensure that the training offered leads to career options where there are no federal, state, or local rules that would block people with criminal records from obtaining required licenses or credentials. In practice, this means applicants need to research licensing and regulatory barriers tied to targeted industries and occupations before committing to them, so participants are not trained for roles they cannot legally access. The goal is to prioritize viable career pathways that culminate in industry-recognized credentials, apprenticeships, or other employer-validated qualifications that can translate into real employment opportunities after release.
From a funding perspective, the opportunity was posted January 19, 2021, with an application deadline of March 16, 2021. The Department of Labor expected to make about 15 awards, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000 per grant. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category falls under Employment, Labor and Training (with mention of Opportunity Zone Benefits in the listing). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, signaling that applicants needed to consult the full FOA to confirm whether they qualified and what partnerships or organizational types were required or preferred.
Overall, Pathway Home 2 supports projects that create a structured bridge from incarceration to employment by starting services pre-release, continuing them post-release, aligning training with local labor market demand, and anchoring the entire approach in employer engagement and realistic credential pathways. The program’s design reflects an emphasis on practical employability, industry-recognized training outcomes, and long-term community reintegration through work, with the broader aim of improving employment prospects and lowering the likelihood of reoffending.Apply for FOA ETA 21 02
- The Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in the employment, labor and training, opportunity zone benefits sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pathway Home 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.270.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 19, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2021 The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is March 16, 2021. Applications must be received no later than 40000 p.m. Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Pathway Home 2 (FOA ETA 21-02)
What is Pathway Home 2 (FOA ETA 21-02)?
Pathway Home 2 is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), listed under CFDA 17.270. It is designed as a pilot program to strengthen the workforce pipeline for people who are incarcerated and nearing release.
What is the main goal of the program?
The program aims to reduce recidivism by connecting people nearing release to stable employment pathways. It does this by starting workforce services before release and continuing support after release through community reentry programs in the locations participants will return to.
Who is the program intended to serve?
The program is intended to serve people who are incarcerated and nearing release from state correctional facilities or local/county jails.
Where are services delivered under Pathway Home 2?
Services are designed to begin while participants are still incarcerated (in state correctional facilities or local/county jails) and then continue after release by transitioning participants into community reentry programs in the communities they will return to.
What does it mean that the program is "job-driven"?
"Job-driven" means the program is built around real local hiring needs rather than generic training. Training and services are expected to align with jobs that actually exist in the local labor market.
Why is employer engagement emphasized so strongly?
A central feature of Pathway Home 2 is the requirement to build strong relationships with local employers. Those partnerships are intended to shape training and services so participants gain skills that employers value and recognize, and so the program prepares participants for roles that businesses are willing to hire for.
How are employer partnerships expected to influence program design?
Employer connections are meant to influence program curriculum, work-based learning options, and the selection of occupational training. Employers may hire program participants, advise on local skills needs, and help confirm that training matches real hiring demand.
What types of services or training does the grant emphasize?
The grant emphasizes both foundational employment preparation and occupational training. Foundational preparation includes job readiness, employability skills, and job search strategies, alongside more technical training aligned with local labor market needs.
Are industry-recognized credentials part of the intended outcomes?
Yes. The opportunity prioritizes viable career pathways that culminate in industry-recognized credentials, apprenticeships, or other employer-validated qualifications that can translate into real employment opportunities after release.
What compliance responsibilities apply to occupational training choices?
Applicants are expected to ensure that the occupational training offered leads to career options where there are no federal, state, or local rules that would block people with criminal records from obtaining required licenses or credentials.
Why does the program require checking licensing and regulatory barriers?
The requirement is meant to prevent participants from being trained for occupations they cannot legally access due to licensing or credential restrictions related to criminal records. Applicants are expected to research relevant barriers before committing to specific industries and occupations.
How does the program support continuity from incarceration to community reentry?
The design centers on a structured bridge from incarceration to employment. It starts services pre-release and then maintains momentum post-release by transitioning participants into community reentry programs in the areas where they will live after release.
Which federal agency sponsors and administers this opportunity?
The opportunity is from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 17.270.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
When was the opportunity posted and when was the application deadline?
The opportunity was posted on January 19, 2021, and the application deadline was March 16, 2021.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The Department of Labor expected to make about 15 awards.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $4,000,000 per grant.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Employment, Labor and Training, with mention of Opportunity Zone Benefits in the listing.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. Applicants would need to consult the full FOA to confirm organizational eligibility and any required or preferred partnerships.
What is the role of community reentry programs in Pathway Home 2?
Community reentry programs are the post-release continuation point for services. The model is intended to transition participants from pre-release services inside facilities to community-based supports in the places they will return to.
How is local labor market demand incorporated into the program?
The program is designed to align training and services with local labor market needs, using employer partnerships to help identify real hiring demand and ensure the training targets occupations that have actual job opportunities.
What broader outcomes does the program aim to support?
Beyond immediate employment outcomes, the program is intended to support long-term community reintegration through work and reduce the likelihood of reoffending by connecting participants to realistic, stable employment pathways.
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