LANL Foundation News:
ESPAÑOLA — Native Workforce Partners (NWP) has been selected to receive funding via the Families and Workers Fund to expand career pathways in sustainable industries.
Supported by the LANL Foundation and sponsored by New Mexico Community Trust, NWP is dedicated to creating opportunities for Native Americans in the workforce. The two-year $550,000 Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Initiative grant will help NWP hire its first full-time staff, expand workforce training and technical assistance, and support tribal nations in preparing for climate and infrastructure careers.1
“Investing in our workforce is an investment in our future. WIOA 166 and 477 programs offer more than employment and training services; they provide a pathway to financial stability and long-term success for our participants. We are excited to continue expanding these opportunities and elevating the potential within our Native communities,” NWP Co-chair Rosemary Reano said.
As a collective of 15 tribal workforce programs, NWP will coordinate training and build pathways into sustainable jobs in climate and infrastructure sectors. The LANL Foundation will administer grant funds in year one as NWP transitions to independent operations in partnership with NMCT by 2027. One of the first regional tribal workforce collaboratives in the country, NWP serves 14 tribal workforce programs in New Mexico and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in Texas.
“This grant will allow Native Workforce Partners to hire staff, strengthen its capacity for state-level advocacy, and expand pathways into climate and infrastructure careers. Increasing the number of Tribal members leading and working on projects in their own communities and lands is a powerful lever for tribal sovereignty,” said LANL Foundation Policy and Impact Program Manager Bonavita Quinto-MacCallum.
“The Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Initiative invests in innovative workforce strategies that create jobs, center workers, and help communities thrive. Native Workforce Partners is transforming this vision into reality for Native communities by building meaningful career opportunities that expand economic opportunity,” said Families & Workers Fund Program Director Sarah Mostafa.
The Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Initiative has invested more than $33 million nationwide to expand career pathways for workers living on low incomes in clean energy, construction, broadband, transportation, water management, and other climate and infrastructure sectors. Last year, it awarded 32 grants as part of the Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Challenge, an open call for grant funding that received more than 460 applicants from across the nation.
To learn more about Native Workforce Partners, visit nativeworkforcepartners.org.