Joyce Announces $9 Million in DOL Grants to Help ODJFS Boost Apprenticeships

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) $9 million in grants to support its activities that serve, improve and expand the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) within the Buckeye State. Joyce has long been a supporter of programs that provide Ohioans with the skills and experience they need to successfully compete for jobs in a broad range of fields. Most recently, in December of 2019, Joyce voted to increase federal funding for registered apprenticeships by $15 million, bringing the FY20 enacted funding level for RAP to $175 million.

 

“Apprenticeships offer invaluable opportunities for students who want to combine relevant classroom education with on-the-job training, all while getting paid,” said Joyce. “I have long fought for innovative learning opportunities like apprenticeships and applaud the Department of Labor for recognizing and supporting Ohio’s work through the Registered Apprenticeship Program. We must continue our efforts to build effective community partnerships and encourage stronger engagement with employers so that Ohio’s students can gain the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to compete for high-wage, in-demand jobs and enter the workforce poised for success.”

 

Administered by DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, the $9 million “Building State Capacity to Expand Apprenticeship through Innovation” grant will support Ohio’s statewide expansion of RAP through:

• Expanding registered apprenticeships in healthcare, mental health care, addiction treatment, or alternative pain management occupations providing support to individuals living in rural areas;
• Incorporating specific strategies to support or expand registered apprenticeship opportunities among all workers, including women, minorities, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with a criminal record;
• Supporting system alignment and partnership through the establishment or expansion of the role of the business service representatives/apprenticeship navigators with the promotion of apprenticeship to partner systems;
• Developing innovative technical assistance strategies/approaches for registered apprenticeship sponsors;
• Establishing an employer incentive plan to expand or scale registered apprenticeships;
• Identifying specific strategies to support engagement with small businesses in nontraditional industries in registered apprenticeships; and
• Launching or expanding sector strategies to expand RAP to new industries and/or new or non-traditional occupations in existing sectors.

 

Ohio has more than 1,100 registered apprenticeship programs in countless diverse fields, including aerospace, construction, energy, health care, manufacturing and utilities. Each program includes, at minimum, 2,000 hours of structured on-the-job training and 144 hours per year of related technical instruction. Click here for a list of current apprenticeship opportunities in Ohio through RAP.

 

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