Wednesday, February 23, 2022: $113 Million Now Available Through The Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Labor announced $113M in available grant funding, including up to $50M to support “equity partnerships and pre-apprenticeship activities to increase enrollment in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.” The Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) grant program is part of President Biden’s ongoing strategy to strengthen Registered Apprenticeships (RAP).
The grants aim to support an equitable post-pandemic economic recovery by connecting Americans to good quality jobs in priority industry sectors, including critical supply chain industries, and among populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
The Plan
Using a coordinated national investment strategy, the ABA will strengthen and modernize the RAP system, increase equity and accessibility in program delivery to apprentices, bring the Registered Apprenticeship model to more industries, and improve RAP completion rates for underrepresented populations and underserved communities.
Grant recipients will work with various partners to support and develop the Registered Apprenticeship ecosystem. Specific goals include the expansion of RAP opportunities for the youth and ensuring equitable RAP pathways through pre-apprenticeship leading to RAP enrollment and equity partnerships
Eligible Grant Recipients
- nonprofits,
- labor organizations,
- public and state institutions of higher education, and
- county governments.
Finalists will receive awards from $1 to $8 million.
Read more about the department’s broader efforts to connect career seekers with apprenticeship opportunities and expand apprenticeship into new sectors and industries through the dedicated webpage, https://www.apprenticeship.gov.
On A Related Note
The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship released a podcast, “How Inclusive Apprenticeship Drives Performance.” In the podcast, David Dame, Director of Accessibility at Microsoft, discusses the unique skills and perspectives that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. He also addresses how inclusive apprenticeship helps build diverse and inclusive, high-performing teams.