The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today announced a key investment of more than $1.5 million in grants to support registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades across 16 counties that will help expand job opportunities, build diverse talent, and reach underrepresented and underserved populations.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in opportunities for people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential in the workforce, no matter which path they take,” L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker said. “This investment in Pennsylvania’s workforce will ultimately help set workers up for success by equipping them with the skills they need for these in-demand jobs. This funding is yet another example of the Administration’s continued commitment to uplifting and investing in all members of our workforce.”
Since taking office, Governor Josh Shapiro has made workforce development a cornerstone of his agenda. The Shapiro Administration has increased annual funding for workforce development initiatives statewide – including apprenticeships, career and technical education (CTE), and vocational-technical programs – by nearly $65 million over its first two budgets, a more than 50 percent increase over funding in the 2022-23 budget.
According to a recent Women in Apprenticeship report from the U.S. Department of Labor, in FY 2023, women represented just under 15 percent of active registered apprentices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, women made up just 10.8 percent of the construction industry.
To help address this deficit, L&I's investment aims to create career pathways for populations underrepresented in the trades, including women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, veterans, socio-economic disadvantaged individuals, individuals who speak English as a second language, individuals who were previously incarcerated, or individuals experiencing multiple barriers to employment.
The following pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs were 100 percent state funded.
The Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (Philadelphia County) - $199,997
The Philadelphia Academies, Inc. will expand its Pre-Apprenticeship in the Construction Trades (PACT) program, which removes barriers to advanced training for non-traditional high school populations, offering a pathway to life-sustaining careers.
Partner4Work (Allegheny County) - $200,000
Partner4Work will expand its construction and trade apprenticeship programs to provide access to the most vulnerable populations in the local labor force.
Construction Apprentice Preparatory Program (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties) - $250,000
The grant will support the Construction Apprentice Preparatory Program (CAPP), a training program, primarily focused on preparing women and minorities in underserved communities for acceptance into any of the trades in the construction industry. CAPP combines math, reading comprehension, resume writing, financial literacy, introduction to tools, along with workforce development skills to help participants succeed in the construction industry.
Trades Institute of Pittsburgh (Allegheny and Washington counties) - $200,000
Trade Institute of Pittsburgh (TIP) connects returning citizens and marginalized populations with careers in the trades and livable wages. The grant will help provide scholarships and support for those reentering society and individuals with significant barriers to employment to TIP’s masonry pre-apprenticeship program.
Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic (Bucks and Philadelphia counties) - $241,099
Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic (FTI-MAR) is the official training provider for International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 21 (IUPAT DC21) with a long tradition of providing hands-on and best-in-class training for apprentices in painting, drywall finishing, wall covering, and glazing trades. This project will support Women in Nontraditional Careers (WINC) by providing 12 tradeswomen with two years of apprenticeship training.
IBEW 163 JATC (Luzerne County) - $200,000
IBEW 163 JATC intends to purchase Skills Prep courses, specifically Reading Comprehension and Tech Math to prepare women and people of color to enter the industry. The Skills Prep courses will assist pre-apprentices to enter and succeed in JATC’s apprenticeship program by giving them the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge they need to meet the entry requirements for the program.
Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties) - $250,000
The Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board (SCWDB) will partner with Partner4Work, Tri County WDB, and Westmoreland-Fayette WDB to create a regional network focused on increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the building and construction trades. The partners will support the enrollment and completion of underrepresented participants in Pittsburgh Gateway’s Intro to the Construction Trades (ITCT) Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Program (Pre-RAP). The program facilitates career exploration through a combination of hands-on activities & virtual reality activities, career counseling, visits to Joint Apprenticeship Training Centers, and meeting professionals in various fields.
These grants are the Shapiro Administration’s latest round of investments in workforce development to be awarded through L&I's Increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Building and Construction Trades through Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships initiative. Previously, the Administration invested more than $397,000 in five programs across the Commonwealth.
Established in 2016, L&I's Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) is responsible for guiding and promoting the expansion and compliance of all registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth. The ATO currently supports 884 unduplicated program sponsors and 1,559 occupation-specific registered apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth, with 15,865 registered apprentices currently active.
Source : pa.gov