Apprenticeship Grants to Support Career Opportunities 

by | Jul 20, 2021 | Regional News

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 20, 2021

Contact: Elyse Walter, [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Announces Registered Apprenticeship Grants to Support Career Opportunities 

Funding will support on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for more than 1,400 Michiganders

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) today announced the recipients of grants totaling $3.1 million to help support the development of 1,417 Registered Apprenticeship opportunities throughout the state. The State Apprenticeship Expansion grants have been awarded to three Regional Implementation Consortia to expand the development of new registered apprenticeship opportunities.

 

“As we put Michigan back to work, expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs help Michiganders enter high-demand, high-skill careers and get a good-paying job,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Increasing access to education and training opportunities will help us achieve our 60 by 30 goal to have 60% of Michigan’s adult with post-secondary education or skills training by 2030, boost quality of life, help more Michiganders get good-paying jobs, and ensure businesses have the talented workforce they need to succeed. Apprenticeships benefit workers, employers, and the state as we continue jumpstarting our economy.”

 

Funds provided by the awards will help support costs for employer sponsors of Registered Apprenticeship Programs, including on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for new Registered Apprentices.

 

“Registered Apprenticeship programs allow job seekers to earn while they learn, gaining in-demand skills and a nationally recognized credential in a critical industry,” said LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin. “Expanding Registered Apprenticeship means expanding opportunities for Michiganders. The result is a better-prepared workforce in higher paying jobs to support Michigan employers.

 

Lead partners receiving awards are:

  • Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works! (300 new Registered Apprentices; $900,000 award)
  • Michigan Pipe Trades (367 new Registered Apprentices; $1,100,000 award)
  • Healthcare Association of Michigan (750 new Registered Apprentices; $1,100,000 award)

 

“Michigan Pipe Trades is grateful to Governor Whitmer for her commitment to increasing Registered Apprenticeship opportunities across Michigan and for recognizing the value that piping and other skilled trades offer to our state,” said Price Dobernick, President of the Michigan Pipe Trades Association.

 

Earlier this year, LEO announced the first round of State Apprenticeship Expansion grant awards, with nine Regional Implementation Consortia recipients receiving a total of more than $5 million to accelerate the growth of more than 2,500 apprentices. All the awards will focus on inclusion of underrepresented populations – minorities, females, youth and veterans – in high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, construction, energy, healthcare, information technology and mobility sectors to help secure Michigan’s future.

 

“Between the first round of grant awards and this second round, we’ll be supporting the development of meaningful career opportunities for nearly 4,000 Michiganders,” said LEO’s Office of Employment and Training Director Stephanie Beckhorn. “Registered apprenticeship expansion also provides Michigan businesses with a stream of qualified candidates who are trained and certified based on the employer’s needs.”

 

Partners in the Regional Implementation Consortia include employers, labor, Michigan Works! Agencies, secondary educational partners, postsecondary institutions and others. Employers interested in sponsoring new Registered Apprenticeship Programs or expanding existing programs may be able to work with Regional Implementation Consortia to become part of the expansion efforts.

 

To learn more about registered apprenticeship in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.