GitLab Foundation Announces Inaugural Ten Powering Economic Opportunity Fund Grantees
August 7, 2025 — GitLab Foundation is pleased to announce 10 new projects as part of the Powering Economic Opportunity Fund. The goal of the fund is to propel low-wage workers into high-growth careers focused on renewable energy, infrastructure modernization and related advanced manufacturing sectors across the United States. This initial cohort of grantees will receive a combined $4 million in funding for projects that reach learners, underserved adults and veterans.
“These organizations represent some of the most promising and innovative efforts to move low-wage workers into quality careers,” said Roger Perez, senior program officer at GitLab Foundation. “From rural Appalachia to the Southwest to the West Coast, these grantees are tackling systemic barriers, engaging employers and shaping local ecosystems to build a more inclusive economy.“
As innovation transforms manufacturing, energy, and related industries, the World Economic Forum reports that new roles in the energy sector alone will be in the top 15 percent of new jobs from 2025-2030, creating an increased demand for skilled workers. The 10 organizations receiving grants, along with a high-level overview of their funded projects are:
Machinists Institute — Building pathways to registered apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and related industries, particularly as a feeder program for Boeing Pre-Employment Training (BPET).
West Virginia Women Work — Expanding access to high-wage, union construction careers for women and underserved communities in West Virginia through Step Up to the Trades, a multi-partner initiative.
Clean Power Institute — Launching a workforce training and job placement pilot in New Mexico, home to the newly constructed and largest U.S. wind project.
NextOp — Implementing the Future Energy Veteran Employment Program, which will introduce a military-to-career pipeline that will recruit, develop, train and place enlisted military and veteran talent into energy efficiency, renewable power and sustainable transportation industries.
Colorado Cleantech Industries Association Foundation — Bridging the gap between cleantech job demand and skilled workers and prioritizing historically underserved communities using Zal.ai's data infrastructure technology.
Cal EPIC — Partnering with Rivian Automotive to put community members from underinvested communities into paid three-month internships.
TechSmart Learning Fund — Piloting work-based semiconductor apprenticeships for Arizona students in high school and postsecondary programs, as well as adult learners who are underemployed, displaced by automation or facing significant barriers.
The Environmental Collaboratory — Formalizing partnerships across universities, workforce organizations, and private companies to expand workforce development programming in energy and climate-transition sectors.
Chicago Scholars Foundation — Uniting educational institutions, workforce organizations, employers, unions, and innovators through REACHing for Green, a blueprint for scalable, inclusive access to green economy jobs.
Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) — Equipping low-wage, rural workers without college degrees in Eastern Kentucky with technical training in nuclear energy maintenance planning.
The Powering Economic Opportunity Fund is a joint two-year, $16 million partnership between Families & Workers Fund and GitLab Foundation, and aims to drive at least $1 billion in increased lifetime earnings.
ROI
The ROI for these projects is estimated to be 315x.
The projects are estimated to increase annual earnings by $30,164 per person - an average increase of 107%.
We project that 2,085 individuals will benefit from these initiatives.
The total lifetime earnings increase across all participants is estimated to be $2.25 billion.
Read more about our estimates here.
