Creating thriving communities together
See how our clients and partners—from small business owners to workforce training leaders—work with JPMorganChase to drive meaningful impact and economic growth where they live and work.
Learn moreLatest news
Veteran’s Unconventional Path to Landing her Dream Job in Tech
U.S. Army Veteran Ashley Wigfall transitioned to a civilian role and charted her path to technologist through mentorship and skills training at the JPMorgan Chase tech hub in Plano, Texas.
Learn more
The backbone of U.S. competitiveness is a dynamic and innovative workforce, and the long-term strength of American communities rests on meeting the rising demand for skilled workers. As labor markets shift, it is essential to make high-quality, short-term, career-focused education and training more accessible and responsive to workforce needs. States now have an opportunity—and responsibility—to implement Workforce Pell in a way that expands access to high-quality, short-term credentials, aligns training with real labor-market demand and helps more students and workers move into good jobs that support economic mobility.
Workforce Pell—a federal need-based grant for low-income students pursuing high-quality, short-term credentials—provides a clear opportunity to strengthen talent pipelines. Enacted in 2025 to expand traditional federal Pell Grant eligibility to short-term skills and career-focused programs, the U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to states to begin implementation starting July 2026. The choices states make now—about which programs qualify, how employer input is considered and how outcomes are measured—will determine whether Workforce Pell becomes a meaningful tool for economic mobility.
As skills demands continue to shift, workers need access to training that leads to credentials employers value, and states need systems that can respond quickly to changing labor-market needs.
Jeanine Carlucci
Employers across industries see firsthand that talent pipelines do not build themselves. As skills demands continue to shift, workers need access to training that leads to credentials employers' value, and states need systems that can respond quickly to changing labor-market needs.
In October 2025, JPMorganChase launched its Security and Resiliency Initiative, a $1.5 trillion, ten-year plan to boost industries critical to national and economic security. Major investments like this will only translate into long-term growth if the U.S. has the workforce to support them. For example, it is estimated that the U.S. will need an additional 320,500 welding professionals by 2029. Workforce Pell can help meet these needs if states use it to fund programs aligned with clear labor-market demand—including in industries central to U.S. competitiveness, security, and resiliency.
Workforce Pell can also support Registered Apprenticeship programs, creating pathways into skilled trades, technology and other high-demand fields. Employers’ experience with apprenticeship and work-based learning models shows that these programs are most effective when education providers, community organizations and businesses are aligned around clear career pathways. Implemented effectively, Workforce Pell can enable employers across industries to expand apprenticeship access and unlock new talent pools, as well as play a key role in helping learners obtain credentials valued in critical fields such as finance, energy, and defense.
As states develop Workforce Pell eligibility criteria for in-demand careers, they should prioritize five implementation principles:
Workforce Pell can be a powerful tool for expanding economic mobility, but only if implementation is disciplined, data-driven, and connected to real jobs. States can build systems that help students and workers gain credentials with labor-market value, support employers facing critical talent needs and strengthen the economic resilience of communities across the country.
Disclaimer: This material has not been reviewed, endorsed, or otherwise approved by, and is not a work product of, any research department of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and/or its affiliates. Information contained in this document has been obtained from sources, including those publicly available, believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made by the document’s author or JPMorganChase as to the quality, completeness, accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of such information. Sources of third-party information referred to herein retain all rights with respect to such data and use of such data by JPMorganChase herein shall not be deemed to grant a license to any third party. All information contained herein is as of the date referenced and is subject to change without notice.
Sign up for updates on the ways we are using our business and policy expertise, investments, and data to power economic growth and create opportunities around the world.
