Governor Tom Wolf announced last week that 14 state apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in building and construction trades will receive grants totaling $4.9 million.
According to a July 14 press release from the governor's office, the programs will use the grant funds to create talent pipelines, while also reaching underrepresented populations and expanding the workforce across Pennsylvania.
“Throughout history, apprenticeships have been a vital part of career education in certain fields,” Wolf said in the press release.
“Through these important grants, we are offering more Pennsylvania workers opportunities to train for family-sustaining jobs, while helping businesses develop a workforce that will strengthen our economy and the communities most in need.”
The grants are offered through the Department of Labor and Industry's Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO), which is part of the PA Statewide Movement for Accountability, Readiness and Training (PAsmart) framework. The ATO was established in 2016 and supports more than 17,000 apprentices; 1,500 active occupation specific apprenticeships and 94 occupation specific pre-apprenticeship programs.
Grant recipients include four apprenticeship programs, nine pre-apprenticeship programs and one with a focus on both. They have designed new or built upon existing programs in the building and construction trades, serving underrepresented populations like women, minorities, veterans, socio-economic disadvantaged individuals, people who speak English as a second language, and those who were incarcerated and facing barriers to employment.
A variety of programs are funded through the grants. One example is IBEW Local 163 JATC, which will receive $446,247. This will serve 96 people through a five-year program, including 40 people in underrepresented populations.
“Apprenticeship offers workers the opportunity to advance their careers while earning a paycheck, and it empowers employers to develop the specific skills they need among their employees to be successful in a dynamic economy,” Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jennifer Berrier said.
“We need to make sure this workforce development model is accessible to workers of all backgrounds. Giving all Pennsylvanians the opportunity to earn wages while learning in-demand skills is a major step toward achieving diversity, equity and inclusion among the commonwealth’s workforce.”