NJ Department of Labor Awarded $450K Grant to Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs

New Career Opportunities in Healthcare for Women, People of Color

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has been awarded a $450,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to expand apprenticeship programs.

The NJDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship will use these funds to register additional apprenticeship programs in the healthcare field in response to the needs created by the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds will also help increase participation of underrepresented populations, namely women and minority groups, by enhancing technology and data-sharing across the state to better serve current and future apprentices.

“Registered Apprenticeship has served as the gold standard for training and up-skilling our workforce in the United States for more than 80 years, and we are proud to be leading the nation in apprenticeship growth and opportunities under the administration of Governor Phil Murphy,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “By securing this grant, New Jersey will continue to build on its commitment to support apprenticeship career pathways that lead to economically sustainable wages for women and people of color in the healthcare sector.”

“This grant will also support our employer partners by helping them develop a highly skilled workforce, which is the foundation of our ability to thrive and complete globally as a state,” Commissioner Asaro-Angelo added.

This funding comes from the USDOL’s “Building State Capacity to Expand Apprenticeship through Innovation” grant program, which awarded funds to 42 states and U.S. territories to support the improvement and expansion of Registered Apprenticeship programs. These resources allow states to focus on local apprenticeship needs while boosting employer engagement, performance, and positive outcomes for apprentices.

Since Governor Murphy took office, the number of Registered Apprenticeship programs in the Garden State has increased 50 percent, and there has been a 25 percent increase in active apprentices statewide. As of July 13, more than 8,508 apprentices were participating in 915 apprenticeship programs throughout New Jersey.

While the number of apprentices in the state has remained steady, the number of Registered Apprenticeship programs has declined over the past four months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The USDOL grant funding will be used to bolster New Jersey apprenticeship programs and create more opportunities for career seekers to earn a wage while learning valuable skills on which to build their careers.

To learn more about New Jersey’s apprenticeship programs, please visit please visit apprenticeship.nj.gov.

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