The Native American Indian Association of Tennessee received a $552,052 Project Grant award effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Native American Employment and Training program (CFDA 17.265). The grantee will deliver comprehensive employment and training services to unemployed, underemployed, low-income, and recently laid-off American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian adults in Tennessee. Service delivery encompasses three primary categories: career services to prepare participants for entry, reentry, or retention in unsubsidized employment; occupational training services aligned with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and follow-up services including counseling and supportive services for up to 12 months post-exit to facilitate job retention.
The award supports skill development across academic, occupational, and literacy domains while promoting entrepreneurial capabilities for self-employment and economic advancement. Grantee performance will be measured against six federally-defined outcomes: employment in the second and fourth quarters following program exit, median earnings in the second quarter after exit, credential attainment, skill gains, and service to employers. The program design emphasizes occupational development, upward mobility, and nontraditional employment opportunities aligned with the goals and values of Native American communities served.