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Statement Re Loss of Federal Funding Due to Recent Executive Orders

by Jillian Scannell

Vermont Works for Women promotes economic justice by advancing gender equity.

 

By: Rhoni Basden, VWW Executive Director

Update as of 2/3/2025: The pause on VWW’s WANTO funding (due to the Executive Orders regarding DEI, as outlined in the statement below) has been lifted by a Temporary Restraining Order entered on January 31st which prohibits all federal agencies from pausing, freezing, impeding, blocking, cancelling, or terminating any awards or obligations on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders. This is a temporary order as litigation in the case is ongoing. VWW anticipates that we will be able to resume our WANTO-funded work shortly, and we remain cautiously optimistic that this grant funding will continue. We remain committed to running our previously announced 2025 Trailblazers classes. Thank you for supporting VWW during these tumultuous and uncertain times! We will continue to share updates as we know more. 

 

January 28, 2025 – Vermont Works for Women (VWW) is a 2024 grant awardee of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau’s long-standing Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program.  This funding – $398,019 pledged in total over two years (September 2024-September 2026) – is intended to support the expansion of our statewide Trailblazers training program for women and gender-expansive individuals, including the creation of a new training program for careers in semiconductor/advanced manufacturing. This grant also funds training for employers to create more inclusive workplaces, and enhanced services for current and future tradeswomen.

On January 22nd, Vermont Works for Women received notification from the Women’s Bureau that all Federal Project Officers were asked to share the following announcement: “Effective immediately, all recipients of federal financial assistance are directed to cease all activities related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) under their federal awards, consistent with the requirements of the Executive Orders titled, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” issued on January 20, 2025, and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” issued on January 21, 2025. Any cost incurred on such activities, after the issuance of this notice, will not be considered allowable, and if incurred will be disallowed.”

Accordingly, VWW has been forced to pause work on significant portions of the funded programming while we await further guidance on the fate of this funding, even though our WANTO contract has been signed and executed and originates from Public Law No: 102-530, passed by Congress and enacted into law in 1992.

This rescission of substantial federal dollars coming into Vermont directly impacts our state’s ability to meet workforce development goals and labor needs. It hinders our ability to expand necessary training programs and help Vermonters gain skills to enter high-need industries such as the trades and advanced manufacturing. This would be a significant loss for Vermont’s economy and growth, and for many individuals across our state.

At this time, VWW is working diligently to gain more information from our federal funding agencies and raising awareness on the immediate impacts of these executive orders. We will continue to communicate information as it becomes available and seek to have conversations around impact and potential opportunities for the work ahead.

 

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