WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of its American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Inventive Fund, designed through a cooperative agreement with Arkansas, to support the expansion of advanced manufacturing Registered Apprenticeships nationwide.
The department’s $35.8 million cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services, will incentivize employers nationwide to develop, expand, or join existing advanced manufacturing Registered Apprenticeship programs through a pay-for-performance model. Through the program, employers will receive $3,500 for each new apprentice hired.
“President Trump and his entire administration are fully committed to ushering in a new age of American manufacturing, and that’s why we’re making significant investments in reaching and surpassing his goal of one million active apprentices nationwide,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Our work with Arkansas will support manufacturing employers, particularly small- and mid-sized firms, to launch or scale Registered Apprenticeships that meet real-time industry needs for skilled labor.”
“Every pathway to career success looks different, whether it’s a four-year degree, military service, or gaining skills in a high-demand trade,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “President Trump understands that strong apprenticeship programs are essential to equipping a skilled American workforce, and this new apprenticeship program allows Arkansas to lead the way. Arkansas’ economy can rival any state’s in the nation because we’ve invested in our education and workforce, and we look forward to adding this new initiative to the resources Arkansas’ young people can use to invest in their career and future.”
Administered by the Employment and Training Administration, the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund supports America’s Talent Strategy, as well as several of President Trump’s executive orders related to expanding Registered Apprenticeships.
In an effort to expand Registered Apprenticeships and support implementation of the President’s executive order on Registered Apprenticeships, the department issued a request for information about Registered Apprenticeship Industry Intermediaries.