Ohio Gets $9.4M Grant to Support Apprenticeships

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio will receive a $9.4 million grant to support the state’s registered apprenticeship program and expand apprenticeship opportunities for residents. 

With 19,000 registered apprentices, Ohio ranks second in the country. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded higher funding amounts to states with better performance in key policy objectives; Ohio received the maximum grant amount possible.

“Apprenticeships are an excellent way to begin building a successful and sustainable career, and this grant will allow us to make that option accessible to even more Ohioans,” said Kimberly Hall, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in a statement. “Apprentices earn while they learn, avoid student loan debt and, when they complete their programs, their starting salaries can be as much $60,000.”

The agency oversees ApprenticeOhio, which registered apprenticeship programs that meet national criteria for quality and safety. Each program is run by an employer, group of employers or labor/management committee. All apprentices in Ohio go through at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of classroom training.

The grant will fund system improvements, incentives for employers to pay for the costs of training and tools, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities to serve underrepresented communities, such as minorities, veterans, people with disabilities and people with criminal records.

Job and Family Services will administer the grant alongside the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, the Ohio Workforce Association, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities and the Ohio Departments of Education and Higher Education.

More information about apprenticeships in the state can be found at Apprentice.ohio.gov.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.