Upskilling & Professional Development Grants

Two Ten provides grants for skills-focused training, specialized courses leading to professional certifications, and other professional development opportunities such as workshops. This program is aligned with Two Ten's Women in the Footwear Industry (WIFI) community and is currently only open to women employed in the U.S. footwear industry. It's easy to apply for a WIFI Grant. Just identify an educational opportunity you're interested in and tell us how it will support your footwear career in your grant application.

Q: What types of learning are supported? A: Relatively short duration learning opportunities, both online and in person, that are relevant to the applicant's desired career path in the footwear industry. We partner with educational institutions offering curriculum specifically focused on the footwear industry, such as Arsutoria and Pensole-Lewis College. We also partner with the EdEx learning platform to provide access to a wide range of online courses from leading universities. We also consider requests for learning opportunities offered by a variety of other educational institutions, professional associations and training organizations.

Q: How does this work? A: All you need to do is fill out a brief application describing the learning opportunity you're interested in. You'll be asked how long you've been employed in the footwear industry, what the cost would be to enroll in the course or workshop you're interestedin, where the learning opportunity is being offered, and how it would support your career growth. If your grant application is approved, Two Ten prepays the cost of enrollment for you.

Q: What is the stipend? A: A modest cash award is available to help qualified applicants with the cost of childcare or eldercare while they complete an approved course or workshop. The care stipend is needs-based. You can easily request it as part of your application but you will need to provide information about household size and income.

Q: When can I apply? Whenever you're ready. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year. Please that note that grants are processed relatively quickly but it's best to apply as well in advance of a course start date to allow time for employment verification and application review.

Q: Are there any courses that are specifically excluded? This program is intended for upskilling and professional development, not completion of degree credits. If you're seeking to complete an undergraduate degree we suggest you check out our higher education scholarship program.

Q: How often can I apply? A: You are welcome to complete multiple courses or workshops through this program. Returning applicants must simply demonstrate successful completion of the previously approved learning opportunity.

Apply takes you to our grant system, where you can create an account or log into an existing account to apply for this program. Learn More takes you to a page describing some popular courses and workshops. Nominate opens a form you can use to nominate yourself or a colleague; we'll send more info about the grant, what it covers, and how to apply.