Murphy Administration Awards More Than $3M in Grants to Support Apprenticeship Innovation and Growth
Murphy Administration Awards More Than $3M in Grants to Support Apprenticeship Innovation and Growth
TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced that more than $3 million will be distributed among 12 organizations to foster apprenticeship opportunities that will see the hiring of 1,264 new apprentices. All of these apprentices will be making $15/hour or more.
The funds were made available through the NJDOL’s Growing Apprenticeship in Non-Traditional Sectors (GAINS) grant, with partial assistance from federal funding. The mission of the GAINS grant program is to promote the creation and expansion of USDOL-approved Registered Apprenticeship programs that drive economic development through skills and educational attainment, and establish pathways to better-paying careers and advanced credentials, including college.
The NJDOL estimates that there will be 1996 apprentices and 137 employer partners supported by FY19 and FY20 GAINS grant funded programs.
“Through the GAINS grant program, we are developing apprenticeship programs in a wide variety of in-demand fields, as evidenced by this diverse group of grantees,” said NJDOL Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “By continually expanding this pipeline for talent development, we’re giving more job-seekers the opportunity to earn while they learn, and we’re providing businesses with the skilled workers they need to thrive in this state.”
The full list of grant recipients is as follows:
| Organization Name | Occupation | Award Amount |
| American Training Center | Medical Assistant
|
$219,352 |
| Associated Fire Protection, Inc. | Special Hazards/Fire Suppression | $159,999 |
| Bergen Community College | Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant | $500,000 |
| Kaizen Technologies | Certified Medical Admin, Certified Medical Assistant | $375,984 |
| Middlesex County College | Certified Nurse Assistant, Electromechanical Tech | $82,960 |
| NJ Department of Health | Community Health Workers | $499,754 |
| NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs | Telecommunications Tech, Computer Support Specialist, Desk Support Tech | $28,000 |
| Ocean County College | Addiction Counseling, Hotel Management | $161,910 |
| Rowan College at Burlington County | HVACR | $74,507 |
| Rutgers, The State University RBHS | Registered Nurse
|
$500,000 |
| Saint Peter’s University | Cybersecurity Analyst, Cybersecurity Engineer, Data Scientist | $252,367 |
| WTIA | Cybersecurity Analyst, Software Developer, IT Business Analyst
|
$215,400 |
The GAINS grant program, administered by the New Jersey Office of Apprenticeship, supports Governor Phil Murphy’s New Jersey Apprenticeship Network, an initiative that seeks to make the Garden State a leader for apprenticeship programs and provide options for all New Jerseyans to build meaningful careers across a wide range of employers. The New Jersey Apprenticeship Network is a crucial part of Governor Murphy’s Jobs NJ plan that helps job seekers access training for in-demand jobs and businesses to fill their talent needs in New Jersey.
Since Governor Murphy took office, there has been a 62% increase in registered apprenticeship programs and a 25% increase in active apprentices statewide. As of January 2020, there are more than 8,500 apprentices participating in 992 apprenticeship programs across the state.
The GAINS grant provides 50 percent wage reimbursements, up to $8,000 for the first 6 months of employment of newly hired apprentices and offsets costs for training apprentices.
Through GAINS grant funding in fiscal year 2019, programs have been placing women, African-American, and Hispanic apprentices at twice the statewide average.
To learn more about New Jersey’s growing apprenticeship opportunities, please visit apprenticeship.nj.gov.
###
