Earlier this month the Department of Labor awarded $12 million in information technology apprenticeship grant funding to Purdue University.
“Apprenticeships, the earning while learning models, have worked well in many American industries. By partnering with private entities, academic institutions and consortia will create pathways for American workers to learn in-demand job skills to fill millions of family-sustaining jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta in the prepared announcement.
Previously DOL issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would establish a process for advancing the development of high-quality, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs. The Department also announced $183.8 million in Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grants to private-public apprenticeship partnerships in information technology, advanced manufacturing and healthcare. These grants will support the training of more than 85,000 apprentices in new or expanded apprenticeship programs.
This grant from the U.S. Department of Labor brings Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s nationally recognized cybersecurity expertise to bear on a critically important workforce shortage,” said Purdue Polytechnic Institute Dean Gary Bertoline. “We are eager to get started on this new apprenticeship program as we work to create an exciting new pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals.”
DOL also recently announced $4 million in apprenticeship grant funding to the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.