Dec. 15, 2020
This summer, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded over $42 million in Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants to 14 organizations to increase youth participation in new or existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs). This investment marks the first federal initiative targeted specifically at youth apprenticeship since the School-to-Work Opportunities Act nearly 25 years ago, and will provide resources to expand apprenticeship opportunities at a critical time for young adults. In particular, the investment encourages programs to improve apprenticeship access and outcomes for historically underserved populations, including women, people of color, ex-offenders, persons with disabilities, youth with barriers to employment, and out-of-school youth.