The US Department of Labor plans $80 million in funding through its Nursing Expansion Grant Program to support nurse training programs. Its purpose is to expand the pipeline of nursing professionals.

The department noted more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed by 2030 and that employment opportunities for nurses will grow 9%, faster than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026.

“Many healthcare workers, nurses among them, have worked around the clock throughout the pandemic to care for those in need and save countless lives, often while risking their own health and well-being,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Today, they face diminished ranks of colleagues to help shoulder these burdens as patients continue to depend on them.”

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration will administer the program; some funding comes from H-1B Skills Training Grants, which are supported by user fees paid by employers seeking highly skilled foreign workers under the H-1B visa program.

The program will emphasize training people from historically marginalized and underrepresented populations.