Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) Competitive Grant

Funder: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

The Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) Competitive Grant, offered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, aims to empower women by facilitating their entry into high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations, particularly in skilled trades and STEM fields. This grant supports workforce training programs that assist women facing barriers to employment, promoting economic equity and enhancing access to lucrative job opportunities. The initiative focuses on reducing racial disparities and fostering long-term career success for women in Minnesota.

Office of Adult Career Pathways
The Women’s Economic Security Act is a competitive grant funding opportunity through the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED’s) Office of Adult Career Pathways.
The Office of Adult Career Pathways (ACP) serves Minnesotans at all stages of their educational and career journeys through the development and implementation of workforce training programs. ACP serves adults who traditionally face multiple barriers to employment, need enhanced educational services, wrap-around support, and supportive services in order to be successful in securing long-term family-sustaining wages. Services are intended to help eliminate racial disparities and large economic gaps for the purpose of increasing Minnesotans’ literacy and access to high-growth, high-wage jobs.
DEED, through its Adult Career Pathways Programs, is seeking proposals from qualified responders to provide services through the Women’s Economic Security Act competitive grant. The Women’s Economic Security Act competitive grant recipients must provide services that encourage and assist women to enter high-wage, highdemand, nontraditional occupations, including but not limited to those in the skilled trades and STEM occupations, to increase the number of women in high-wage, high-demand, and nontraditional occupations.
The primary objective for grants under this RFP is to train women for high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations and STEM occupations in Minnesota.