The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative (WORC) provides grant funds to support workforce development activities that prepare workers for good jobs in high-demand occupations in rural communities. NBRC partners with the Department of Labor to provide grantees with technical assistance to promote successful projects and strong outcomes for workers and businesses.
NBRC State Program Managers are not the primary support for applicants to the WORC program. Interested applicants are invited to submit questions to NBRC’s technical assistance provider, Chamberlin/Dunn* at mc@chamberlindunn.com or nd@chamberlindunn.com.
*NBRC is pleased to continue to work with Chamberlin/Dunn LLC (C/D) to deliver pre-application and post-award technical assistance to Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 6 applicants and grantees in the Northern Border Region. C/D brings extensive experience with Department of Labor grants, generally, and with the WORC initiative specifically. Chamberlin/Dunn has served as the TA provider for WORC grantees in the Appalachian region since the program’s Round 1, in 2019, and for the Northern Border and Delta regions since Round 5. Based in Indiana, C/D works with nonprofit and public organizations throughout the U.S. to plan, evaluate, and improve programs that support community prosperity. www.chamberlindunn.com
Detailed information on the WORC opportunity can be found at Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov).
2026 Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7NBRC, along with its technical assistance provider Chamberlin/Dunn, has made a technical assistance video series available to break down components of the 2026 Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7 funding opportunity. In addition, Chamberlin/Dunn will host a live session for interested applicants in the NBRC region on Tuesday, July 7, from 12:00-1:00p.m. EST to present key findings from an evaluation of large, regional projects and answer questions from applicants. Applicants are encouraged to review FOA materials prior to joining this session. All WORC application materials can be accessed on grants.gov. |