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Labor department highlights apprenticeships, Schools-to-Work grants and youth employment programs
Summary
Department leaders told the appropriations committee the administration has expanded registered apprenticeships and the Schools-to-Work program, and that state investments and federal funds support youth work experiences and pre-apprenticeship pipelines. Officials provided enrollment and completion counts and said the commonwealth ranks well in
At the Feb. 24 appropriations hearing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry officials described growth in apprenticeship programs, the Schools-to-Work grants and youth employment initiatives supported by state and federal funding.
Secretary Walker and Deputy Secretary Dan Cuba said the state added 42 new registered apprenticeship programs in the past year, bringing the total to about 1,558 programs, with roughly 20,000 active apprentices statewide. The department said 14 new pre-apprenticeship programs raised the pre-apprenticeship total to 124 and that more than 452 pre-apprentices have completed programs recently.
On Schools to Work, the department said it has made 47 grant awards, investing about $11.2 million since the program's start and serving approximately 2,591 participants. Officials told the committee 1,486 participants had fully completed the program; more than 1,000 participants received credentials and roughly 1,200 obtained certifications, while others earned college credits.
Deputy Secretary Cuba and others described industry partnerships, apprenticeship expansions outside traditional trades into sectors such as health care, electric vehicle technicians, and IT, and targeted investments to increase diversity in nontraditional occupations. The department also described summer youth funding streams, including about $25 million in TANF funds directed to youth activities and workforce integration, and noted a set-aside for pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities.
Why it matters: Apprenticeship and youth work programs represent workforce pipelines for family-sustaining jobs; lawmakers pressed the department on how funds are targeted and how the state helps participants transition to long-term employment.
Ending: Officials asked lawmakers to continue support for apprenticeship and industry partnership line items to sustain pipeline development across the commonwealth.
