The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is making available nearly $200 million in grants to grow registered apprenticeships.
The funding opportunity includes $95 million of competitive grants through the second round of the Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program and $100 million in the second round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Grants, according to DOL.
The department will use the funds to prioritize projects that support the president’s Investing in America agenda — including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — by expanding access to registered apprenticeships in high-demand sectors and occupations, including:
- Information technology/cybersecurity
- K-12 teacher occupations
- Care economy (nursing, early child care, mental health occupations)
- Clean energy
- Hospitality
- Public sector
- Supply chain sectors (logistics, warehousing, transportation, manufacturing)
Part of the goal of the grant program is to provide people from underrepresented and underserved communities an opportunity for high-quality training and pre-apprenticeships that lead directly to enrollment in a registered apprenticeships, DOL said in announcing the funding this week.
April 15 is the deadline to apply. DOL will award 12 to 25 grants, ranging from $1 million to $8 million, in three categories depending on the geographic scope:
- Category 1 – Ensuring equitable registered apprenticeship pathways and partnerships through pre-apprenticeship leading to apprenticeship enrollment.
- Category 2 – Creation of education system-aligned pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeships.
- Category 3 – Registered apprenticeship hubs.
