On December 15, the Department of Education (ED) announced the launch of the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge, aligning with the Trump Administration’s education and workforce priorities. The challenge invites governors—who must work alongside their state Perkins, adult education and workforce agencies— to develop or scale talent marketplaces in their state. The challenge defines talent marketplaces as public digital systems that integrate learning and employment records (LERs), credential registries, artificial intelligence and skill-based job description generators to translate jobs and credentials to skill-based information that can be shared between employers and jobseekers. ED is particularly interested in states working to engage employers in specific high-demand industries such as aerospace and nuclear energy.
The challenge will consist of three phases:
- Pre-phase (Jan-Apr 2026): Governors must submit action plans by April 30, identifying that they are either developing a new talent marketplace or scaling an existing one. Up to ten semi-finalists will be selected to advance onto phase one and are eligible to receive $100,000 each.
- Phase One (Jun-Nov 2026): Semi-finalists will receive tailored technical assistance from ED and participate in a community of practice as they refine their plans. Upon completion of phase one and after meeting other criteria, participants will receive $400,000 each.
- Phase Two (Jan 2027-Mar 2028): Finalists will deploy their plans, building out and scaling marketplaces in their state while continuing to receive technical assistance from ED. Upon completion of phase two and after meeting other criteria, up to ten finalists will receive $1,000,000 each.
State education and workforce leaders interested in learning more about the competition can sign up for informational webinars here. The competition website also contains resources to assist states with their submissions, including an application guide, key terms and definitions and the official competition rules.
