Department of Labor & Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier announced that $2.6 million in Schools-to-Work program grants is available to support new partnerships between schools, employers, organizations or associations to create employment and training career paths for students. Gov. Tom Wolf proposed to inject $3 billion into workforce development through his Back to Work PA plan, which aims to prepare workers for the post-pandemic economy.
“The Schools-to-Work program will create hands-on learning opportunities for students, including apprenticeships, workplace visits and internships that will create career paths to employment or secondary education,” said Berrier. “These funds will help ensure that our workers obtain the industry-recognized skills, certifications or college credits needed to put them on a solid career path to employment and help meet current and future labor market needs.”
Schools-to-Work grants will be awarded and funded competitively in increments up to $250,000 to create learning opportunities for participating students that will include classroom training, workplace visits, internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, employment opportunities, job shadowing or externships. Applicant proposals must focus on building programs that will fill current and anticipated labor market needs in a given geographic area.
Eligible applicants must be an entity that is or will be registered with L&I as a pre-apprenticeship program and which will have the full responsibility for the administration and operation of the Schools-to-Work program. This applicant or program sponsor must be partnered with at least one school in a school district, charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or career and technical school.
The Schools-to-Work grants are funded by federal Reemployment funds, which are used to support programs and services that assist individuals with becoming employed or improving their employment, such as job search and placement services, educational enhancement, job training and job readiness and workplace skills training.
Additional details and the grant application for the Schools-to-Work grants can be found here. Grant applications are due on April 14, at 4 p.m. The 2021 Schools-to-Work program will operate from June 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2023.
