Credit: PA Internet News Service
Bucks County Department of Workforce and Economic Development and MontcoWorks have been granted $366,664 by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Apprenticeship Building America and Pennsylvania program.
The grant is designed to support the efforts of nine local workforce development boards, including those in Bucks and Montgomery counties, to boost apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities among underrepresented populations.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America initiative, Bucks County Department of Workforce and Economic Development and MontcoWorks will launch a new apprenticeship-focused initiative to serve their workforce development areas, the agencies announced this week.
The initiative will include two new registered apprenticeship programs and two registered pre-apprenticeship programs. Additionally, existing programs in industries such as skilled trades, manufacturing, IT, and education will be expanded. The joint initiative’s goal is to accelerate the growth of local apprenticeship ecosystems and expand a workforce pipeline of skilled talent to ensure economic health within the region, officials said.
Billie Barnes, the executive director of the Bucks County Department of Workforce and Economic Development, expressed her pride in the partnership between the Bucks County department and MontcoWorks to expand apprenticeship programs in the area.
“This investment in our workforce will help us offer more career pathways to jobs offering family-sustaining wages. Apprentices earn a paycheck as they learn in-demand skills while also filling labor gaps experienced by local employers,” she said.
The Apprenticeship Building America grant program enables states to expand and modernize registered apprenticeships by increasing the number of programs, adding apprentices, promoting diversity across industries, improving opportunities for underrepresented and underserved communities, and increasing accessibility and equity of programming for all apprentices, a statement said.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the Keystone State has more than 1,600 registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, with over 16,000 current and future employees.
Apprentices work full-time from day one, earning industry certifications, stackable credentials, and college credits in many programs. Employers get an average of $1.47 back in increased productivity for every dollar spent on apprenticeships. Apprenticeship program graduates have a retention rate of over 90 percent, according to officials.
Job seekers and employers in Bucks County can access more information about apprenticeship opportunities by visiting www.buckscounty.gov.
