Fattah Announces $3 Million American Apprenticeship Grant to Philadelphia Works
500 Opportunity Youth in Philadelphia will be served by a new Department of Labor grant-funded program
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) announced that Philadelphia Works has been awarded nearly $3 million in federal funds for the newly announced American Apprenticeship Initiative by the Department of Labor. The grant will help 500 opportunity youth in Philadelphia through access to new and expanded apprenticeship programs. Nationwide, the funding is intended to strengthen career opportunities for hard-working Americans by increasing job training and skills development programs in new and growing industries.
"This is an exciting new initiative for the Philadelphia community, and I could not be more pleased that Philadelphia Works, along with its many partners throughout the region, has been recognized by the Department of Labor for their commitment to helping our community's opportunity youth find success in the workforce," Congressman Fattah said.
Opportunity youth are commonly defined as the more than six million young people in the United States between the ages of 16 to 24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market.
The Philadelphia Works project will create a new Behavioral Heath apprenticeship, expand on an existing Computer Support Specialist/IT apprenticeship program, and strengthen the pipeline of opportunity youth in Philadelphia who can be directed into these job-training programs. Altogether, the initiative will help 500 Philadelphia young people; 390 opportunity youth in pre-apprenticeships and 210 in Information Technology and Behavioral Healthcare apprenticeships.
The apprenticeship program will leverage the support and resources of several public and private partners within the Southeastern Pennsylvania region including; Communities in Schools of Philadelphia, the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund, the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia YouthBuild, Philadelphia Youth Network, and more.
Overall, the Department of Labor awarded $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants to help train and hire more than 34,000 new apprentices in high-tech and high-growth industries around the country. The apprenticeship initiative is a part of the Obama Administration's effort to create increased opportunities for hard-working Americans to acquire the skills and training necessary to succeed in high-wage, high-skilled jobs. Research has shown that 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs and earn an average starting wage above $50,000.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150911/265854
SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article