07 Jan Department of Labor Announces $100 million American Apprenticeship Initiative
Scope: The Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is seeking applications for the American Apprenticeship Initiative to provide a catalyst in supporting a uniquely American Apprenticeship system that meets the country’s particular economic, industry and workforce needs. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced $100 million to expand registered apprenticeship programs in high-‐skilled, high-‐growth industries like health care, biotechnology, information technology and advanced manufacturing.
DOL says investment will help to transform apprenticeships for the 21st century and serves as a catalyst to increase the use of apprenticeships to meet employer needs in these sectors. U.S. DOL Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez sees an apprenticeship as the other 4-‐year degree and a sustainable job training strategy that offers a reliable path to the middle class, with no college debt.
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Funds: Approximately $100 million for up to 25 awards of up to $5 million. The project period of performance may be up to 60 months in duration.
Eligible Applicants: Applications must include at least one entity from the private sector (i.e., a business, a consortium of businesses, business-‐related nonprofit organization, or a private organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses) and the public sector (i.e., community colleges, local and state governments, other nonprofit organizations. the workforce investment system, or DOL-‐recognized state apprenticeship agency).
Requirement: DOL has stated that successful applicants will develop registered apprenticeship programs that align with other postsecondary education and create career pathways to long-term careers, as well as encourage greater access to apprenticeship opportunities for historically underrepresented populations including women, young men and women of color, people with disabilities, and veterans and transitioning service members.
DOL-‐ETA said projects must focus on helping more employers and workers participate in American Apprenticeships within industries and occupations for which employers are using H-‐1B visas to hire foreign workers, such as information technology, and/or other high-‐growth industries including but not limited to advanced manufacturing, business services and health care; and the types of high demand skill sets (e.g., digital and information technology skills) now required across most industries.
For additional information: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-‐grants.html?keywords=FOA-‐ETA-‐15-‐02