Indiana DWD Receives $3.9M Grant to Expand Apprenticeship Programs

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development recently received $3,907,725 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America program. The money will expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the state.

“Data show apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities lead to more career options, more engaged and happier employees, and provide benefits to both the student and the employer,” said DWD Interim Commissioner Josh Richardson. “This grant funding will enable DWD to diversify and enhance Indiana’s current apprenticeship options in Hoosier communities.”

DWD was awarded funding for state apprenticeship system building and modernization. The department will partner with regional WorkOne locations to incentivize and expand apprenticeships, including State Earn and Learn programs. SEALs are certified through the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship, housed within DWD. SEALs are structured, but flexible, programs that include an education component, an on-the-job training component, industry certifications and college credit. SEALs are also used as high-quality, pre-apprenticeship programs for Registered Apprenticeships in both the youth and adult spaces.

The Apprenticeship Building America grant program is designed to expand and modernize Registered Apprenticeship by increasing the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that use Registered Apprenticeship and improving the access to and performance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs for underrepresented and underserved communities.

“The ABA grant will allow Indiana to continue the important work of scaling these programs through its statewide system of intermediaries – the Regional Workforce Boards,” said DWD’s Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Solutions and Engagement. “Helping to ensure alignment of needs and resources, with a focus on skills and credentials that employers value, should provide a significant gain in efficiencies and effectiveness across all regions in the state.”

Indiana DWD was one of 30 recipients of the Apprenticeship Building America grant program that will incorporate cross-cutting principles to ensure access to quality Registered Apprenticeship Programs including equity, job quality, sustainability, evidence-based approaches and new opportunities for innovation, engagement and ease of access.

Additionally, Ivy Tech Community College received $4,736,976 in ABA funding. As a Registered Apprenticeship Hub, Ivy Tech will facilitate the establishment, scaling and expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in new and fast-growing industries and occupations.