NJDOL Announces $6M Grant to Support Apprenticeships

On Feb 29, 2024

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) Office of Apprenticeship has announced $6 million in available funding through the Growing Apprenticeship in Nontraditional Sectors (GAINS) grant program.

The GAINS grants promote the expansion of US Department of Labor-approved Registered Apprenticeship programs to support better-paying careers and the attainment of advanced credentials. A focus of GAINS grants is to promote equality of opportunity, upward mobility, and economic fairness.

“Apprenticeship programs provide vital paths to successful careers, without requiring a four-year college degree, and strengthen the state’s economy by helping businesses meet the demand for skilled workers and workers meet the requirements for family-sustaining careers,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo.

This is the second round of funding for FY24, and represents an $11 million investment in this grant program for the fiscal year, or more than double the roughly $5 million in funding allocated in FY23. Overall, more than $25 million in GAINS funding has been awarded in the six years of the Murphy Administration.

The program seeks to develop new and existing apprenticeship programs and create Registered Apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries. Proposals must provide new apprentices with a starting wage of at least $17 per hour unless a lower rate is justified. GAINS funding can be used to reimburse up to 50% of new apprentices’ wages for a maximum of $12,000 per apprentice over 52 work weeks.

This competitive grant opportunity is open to the following entities that are developing new or building upon existing Registered Apprenticeship programs:

• Any employer
• Employer/trade associations
• Labor organizations that represent workers in the occupation in which the apprentices will be trained
• Labor/management partnerships (public or private)
• New Jersey Local Education Agencies (LEA)
• Public vocational schools in New Jersey
• Two- and four-year institutions of higher education
• Public and private non-profit organizations
• Business or trade organizations representing a trade, group of trades, contractors, or employers
• Community-based organizations
• New Jersey local Workforce Development Boards
• Economic development organizations
• Workforce Intermediary Sponsors

The GAINS grant is part of Governor Murphy’s New Jersey Apprenticeship Network, an initiative that seeks to make the state a national leader for apprenticeship programs and provide options for all New Jerseyans to build meaningful careers across a wide range of employers.

During Governor Murphy’s administration, New Jersey has created 684 new Registered Apprenticeship programs and onboarded 17,552 new apprentices. The state currently has 8,674 active apprentices in 1,295 registered programs.

Most recently, $7.9 million in grant funding was awarded through the GAINS grant program and the Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education (PACE) grant program.

Key dates:

March 5, 1 pm: Virtual technical assistance (TA) workshop (pre-registration is required at least three business days in advance). Register here: https://bit.ly/FY24-GAINSR2-TA-Mar5

March 28: Letter of Intent due by noon

April 5: Application due by noon

View complete details and the full Notice of Grant Opportunity here.

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

Related Articles: