Workforce Development Needs Your Help - Regional Apprenticeship Development and Readiness Grant

The WDB is applying for a grant under a USDOL RFP that calls for: Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways Through Pre-apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships: Grantees will establish and develop equity-centered public-private partnerships with pre-apprenticeships leading to RAP enrollment that aim to increase diversity and equity in apprenticeship for underrepresented populations and underserved communities.

Proposed project:

Create and operate pre-apprenticeship programs in 4 to 5 sectors that can offer employment (manufacturing, IT, health care, social assistance, finance, as examples) through apprenticeships. Participants who need sector-specific skills enter the pre-apprenticeship program that blends classroom and hands-on skills along the model of the construction sector Youth Build program, and then move into employment. The pre-apprenticeship training can lead to short-term postsecondary training if essential to connect with employment. Pre-apprenticeship programs should be less than 180 days in length. To address potential COVID-19 issues and issues of rural participants, programs will have an extensive remote learning component.
The project provides job readiness skills, job search skills, retention skills and support services as needed.
The project will serve individuals with disabilities who are over 18 and live in the service area covered by the WDB and its various partners.
Grant funding will be blended with other funding streams for which participants are eligible.
The project will create a regional partnership that will help individuals with disabilities enter apprenticeships.
Participant outreach will develop a participant pool of individuals; core skills training will be provided to any who are not able to meet the skills requirements of the pre-apprenticeship program.
Employer outreach will seek an increase in employers using apprenticeships to hire individuals with disabilities. OJL and incentive payments will focus on new employers.
Pre-apprenticeships will be offered at a nominal cost to participants, or free.

HOW CAN YOU HELP:

Our service area will be HMO, CDO and FMS. We are asking employers to submit a letter in support. This template can be found by clicking here. The in kind commitment can be in the form of meeting attendance and participation, meeting space and participant referrals.

Naturally this is just a template and the letter writer can make any changes, additions or adjustments they desire.

Please contact the Workforce Development Board with questions: asavino@working-solutions.org