SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is prioritizing female and minority participation in apprentice programs through $8.6 million in grants, which officials hope will help open more doors for underrepresented groups.
One of the programs — Growing Apprenticeship In Nontraditional Sectors, or GAINS — aims to recruit and fund apprentices in a variety of jobs throughout the state.
Labor Commissioner Rob Asaro-Angelo said there’s an increasing appetite for apprenticeships, and this will ensure people of color and women are included.
He pointed to repairs on I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia as the most recent example of the advantages of these labor programs: The skilled workers who are repairing the roadway started as apprentices.
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While construction is a major part of the program, there are also opportunities in other industries, such as IT, nursing and manufacturing.
“Whatever it may be in New Jersey, there’s an apprentice program for you,” Asaro-Angelo said.
The Murphy administration has been dedicated to growing apprenticeship opportunities since day one, he added, and it has invested more than $50 million total so far.
“We’ve almost doubled the number of apprenticeship programs in the state of New Jersey,” said Asaro-Angelo. “I think we’ll be at the actual double number sometime soon because apprenticeship works. It’s a great return on investment for employers and provides a great career path for workers — not just a job but a career path.”
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