The purpose of this grant program is to support sector-based approaches to expanding efforts to develop and implement apprenticeships on a national scale in key industry sectors. The overarching goals of this grant program are threefold: (1) to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to new industry sectors reliant on H-1B visas, (2) to promote the large-scale expansion of apprenticeships across the nation, and (3) to increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans.
Recognizing that apprenticeship is a training strategy that operates on both the supply side and the demand side of the labor market, this grant program aims to increase both the number of apprenticeship positions and the ability of all Americans to gain access to this proven pathway to great careers. On the demand side, the grant seeks to broaden apprenticeship opportunity by:
- Expanding apprenticeships to H-1B industries or occupations that have not typically used apprenticeships to bring new entrants into the workforce—such as information technology, advanced manufacturing, banking and finance, and health care—and to upskill those already employed in these industries to bolster the sector's competitiveness;
- Increasing the level of apprenticeship activity among a range of new employers within these industry sectors, particularly small- and medium-sized businesses; and
- Promoting a sector-based approach to large-scale expansion of apprenticeships that 1) include a paid, work-based learning component and a required educational or instructional component that results in the issuance of an industry-recognized credential and 2) meet appropriate quality assurance standards.
This grant program will also support an array of activities designed to assist industry in developing and expanding new apprenticeship programs. These activities will include the development of industry-approved, competency-based curricula for both on-the-job and classroom training; and the development of appropriate quality assurance and data systems and processes.
On the supply side, this grant program aims to ensure a sustained, rich pool of talent for apprenticeship programs over the long term. Hence, grant funds will support a variety of efforts to increase access to apprenticeship among all Americans, particularly veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members, and underrepresented populations in apprenticeship, including women, people of color, and ex-offenders.
This opportunity is the latest in a long line of Department of Labor H-1B visa funded workforce development grant opportunities featuring partnerships between employers, workforce development groups, and education and training providers. Previous iterations of this grant and their awardees are as follows: