Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership awarded $12 million apprenticeship grant

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) has announced the recipients of its Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant. The grant includes a $12 million award to Ohio's Lorain County Community College (LCCC), the lead applicant in collaboration with Ohio TechNet (OTN) and the Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA), collectively known as the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP).

The funding will play a vital role in helping Ohio address the workforce shortage and skills gap affecting manufacturing, as manufacturers across the state have repeatedly cited workforce as their top issue of concern. With the grant funds, OMWP will upskill 5,000 Ohioans over the next four years through Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, an earn-and-learn model recently authorized by the DOL.

The stated goals of the DOL initiative are to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to new industry sectors reliant on H-1B visas, promote the large-scale expansion of apprenticeships, and increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans.

OMWP's project will focus on career pathways in advanced manufacturing with an eye toward technological advances, including Industry 4.0 and cybersecurity. To date, the partnership has secured commitments from Ohio manufacturers to train 2,315 apprentices. OMA and its industry sector partnership network will be conducting outreach and education to bring industry-recognized apprenticeship opportunities to additional Ohio manufacturers, while OTN continues to develop innovative and accelerated training models at community colleges, universities, and Ohio Technical Centers.