Applications will be accepted through April 3 for $145 million in grants that are available to state governments, colleges, small businesses and nonprofits under a federal incentive program aimed at rapidly expanding the national apprenticeship network.
The U.S. Department of Labor intends to fund up to five cooperative agreements in key industries over a four-year performance as part of its Pay-for-Performance Incentive Program. Grants to fund new or expanded apprenticeships will range from $10 million to $40 million.
Four of the five grants will be awarded for cooperative agreements that rapidly scale and expand new or existing apprenticeships in these key industries:
- Shipbuilding and defense industrial base
- Artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and nuclear energy infrastructure
- Information technology
- Healthcare
- Transportation
- Telecommunications
“The department is particularly interested in expanding Registered Apprenticeship for occupations in shipbuilding and defense and intends to make an award for this industry, contingent on receiving a quality application,” the USDOL said in a statement.
The fifth grant will support the expansion of programs that increase the number of employed apprenticeships in industries not covered by the list above.
These grants are separate from the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, a $35.8 million initiative announced by the USDOL on Jan. 28. This fund provides grants for employers and apprenticeship program sponsors to expand high-quality registered apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing across the country. The program is managed under a cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Department of Commerce.
