The Washington State Department of Commerce is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms interested in a grant for a pre-apprenticeship program focusing on the construction trades. 

The legislature provided funds in fiscal year 2022 solely for a grant to a nonprofit located in King County that develops training and support for low-income individuals, with a focus on women and people of color, to move into the construction industry for living wage jobs. The grant funding must be used to develop a pre-apprenticeship program that, through the construction of units, integrates housing and workforce development in service of the following goals:

1. Creating a blueprint to integrating workforce development and housing for local jurisdictions;
2. Providing construction training to underserved populations;
3. Creating a pathway for trainees to enter construction careers; and
4. Addressing the systemic effects of sexism and racism in housing, wealth, education, training, employment, and career development.