In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of $65 million for the sixth round of Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC) Training Grants. This funding is designed to help community colleges expand their capacity to provide high-quality, short-term training programs that meet the needs of both employers and workers in in-demand industries.
The Applications Guidelines for this and other DOL Funding Opportunities that develop credentials and skills state:
The Department wishes to ensure that individuals, employers, educators, and training providers have access to the most complete, current, and beneficial information about providers, programs credentials, and competencies supported with these federal funds. To this end, we require that grantees make information about industry-recognized credentials publicly accessible through the use of linked open data formats that support full transparency and interoperability. This requirement applies to all industry-recognized credentials that are awarded using grant funds under the Announcement, where such credentials were previously developed by a grant lead or partner or are developed using grant funds. Credentials include, but are not limited to, diplomas, badges, certificates, certifications, and degrees of all levels and types. Formats may include, but are not limited to, the use of credential transparency description language specifications. DOL will provide specific guidance and technical assistance on credential transparency. Grantees must submit an implementation plan for credential transparency and must complete implementation of the plan before the period of performance ends, as specified in DOL technical assistance.
A primary focus of this round is supporting programs that seek eligibility for the newly authorized Workforce Pell Grants. These grants aim to increase access to federal financial aid for students enrolled in short-term workforce programs that are portable, stackable, and directly aligned with industry-driven hiring requirements.
The DOL is prioritizing applicants—specifically statewide community college systems or consortia—that are working toward developing integrated, state-level data systems. These systems are essential for fostering the workforce and education data activities necessary to demonstrate the effective outcomes required by Workforce Pell. Information on the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants is available online here.
Through our open technologies, the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and the Credential Registry, Credential Engine directly supports the creation of the transparent data infrastructure required for these grants. We encourage all applicants to advance their credential transparency work by including in their proposals that they will:
- Use CTDL to ensure their program data is structured, open, linked, interoperable, and durable data (SOLID).
- Incorporate Credential Engine technologies to build the state-based registries and data systems needed to track Workforce Pell outcomes and support career pathways.
- Align data across education and workforce systems to ensure training programs are discoverable and valuable to all stakeholders.
SCC Round 6 submissions are due May 20th, 2026. Please see the link above for more information.
Please email info@credentialengine.org to learn more about how we can support your submissions.