The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a competitive State Apprenticeship Expansion grant to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Alaska is one of 15 states that will receive the award which will be used to develop, modernize, and diversify Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
Louise Dean, Director for the Alaska Workforce Investment Board spoke with KSRM:
“The grant is targeted at diversity, equity and inclusion. We’re looking at non-traditional occupations and industry sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. Alaska, we always need training money. The industries have been hit hard. We applied for the grant and were notified last week that we received the grant and we were excited because we received the full amount that we requested.”
The project identified committed partners in targeted industries, which include: healthcare, resource development (oil, natural gas & mining), construction, power generation, IT/cyber security, mental health, education, social services, transportation (land, sea and air), facility operations and maintenance, tourism and hospitality.
Dean says what they’ll be doing with that grant money:
“Working with industry partners and building new apprenticeships, coming up with some ideas for expanding apprenticeship and also targeting certain populations that are at a disadvantage. We will be preparing a request for grant application, which will be submitted to the public probably by mid-July.”
Dean says that the industries and training providers will be able to apply for to receive apprenticeship funding:
“We haven’t determined what the maximum award amount will be, but it’s going be the same process that we have for our state training employment program grants and also our workforce innovation and opportunity act youth grants. So, it will be competitive.”
Registered Apprenticeship combines structured on the job training with technical classroom instruction. The use of online technical instruction has allowed Alaska to deliver the benefits to employers and their employees statewide.
To learn more, contact an Alaska Job Center representative toll-free in Alaska at (877) 724-2539.