U.S. Department of Labor awards $8M to increase apprenticeships for job seekers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the award of more than $8 million in contract investments to four national Industry Intermediaries to expand the use of Registered Apprenticeship in sectors affected by the pandemic. The department is seeking to develop apprenticeship opportunities for all U.S. workers, in particular those from under-represented and underserved populations.

Industry Intermediaries are organizations in an industry or sub-sector that serve as liaisons to employers, other industry partners and the department’s Office of Apprenticeship to determine skill needs and workforce trends and work with employers to increase apprenticeship opportunities. Expanding this proven workforce strategy in trucking is one of the key elements announced as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Trucking Action Plan to strengthen America’s Trucking Workforce.

“The pandemic created challenges across industries and impaired America’s critical supply chain sectors significantly. These contract awards will leverage industry expertise, increase Registered Apprenticeship opportunities and provide the talented workforce our economy demands,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “This funding furthers the Department of Labor’s commitment to equip U.S. workers to compete for good-paying jobs in critical industries.”

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the funding – the availability of which was announced on Sept. 10 – will target the following sectors:

Care economy that serves individuals, families, elderly and persons with disabilities to provide community food and housing, vocational rehabilitation services and childcare services.

• Electric power generation, transmission and distribution.
• Key supply chains including semi-conductors, advanced batteries, critical minerals and strategic materials, pharmaceuticals and active ingredients and transportation equipment manufacturing.
• Transportation and logistics operations for supply chain distribution including air, rail, water and support activities.

Industry Intermediaries help accelerate apprenticeship program development and create new sector-based apprenticeship partnerships at regional and national levels. The contract commits each intermediary to enroll an annual average of at least 750 Registered Apprentices, using strategies that engage supply chain employers, leverage key partnerships, reduce program development time for key occupations in target industries and increase the number of new apprentices.

Learn more about the department’s broader efforts to connect job seekers with apprenticeship opportunities and expand apprenticeship to new sectors and industries.