USDOL Awards $162M To Expand Registered Apprenticeships in Key Industry Sectors
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of nearly $162 million through five cooperative agreements to expand Registered Apprenticeship in the occupations critical for the administration’s reindustrialization agenda.
The department’s Employment and Training Administration will administer the five Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program cooperative agreements with organizations that will lead nationwide efforts to train thousands of Americans for jobs in the shipbuilding, defense industrial base, and emerging technology sectors. This performance-based model directly links federal funding to measurable outcomes, providing incentive payments to Registered Apprenticeship sponsors as their apprentices reach verified retention and progression milestones.
“President Trump challenged us to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs that deliver real results for American workers and businesses, and that is exactly what this program does,” said Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “We are putting taxpayer dollars to work where they matter most, creating real jobs, real skills, and real opportunities in the industries that will define America’s future economic competitiveness.”
Registered Apprenticeship is an earn-while-you-learn model of training, culminating in increased pay, a postsecondary credential, and skills that will drive both personal and American economic prosperity. At least 85% of each award flows directly to eligible Registered Apprenticeship sponsors across all states and territories.
ETA will work closely with the awardees over the summer to implement their projects and expects eligible Registered Apprenticeship sponsors to begin applying for incentive funds in the fall.
These awards align with the Trump administration’s America’s Talent Strategy and its goal of reaching and surpassing 1 million new active apprentices nationwide. The awards also advance the department’s efforts to implement presidential executive orders related to expanding Registered Apprenticeship, including Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future, Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base.
The Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program will prioritize incentivizing the expansion and growth of high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs on a national scale, specifically in industries with a firmly established Registered Apprenticeship program infrastructure.