North Dakota Department of Commerce awarded funds for apprenticeship project

The North Dakota Department of Commerce today announced that the agency was awarded $694,317 through the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship State Expansion Grant.      “Apprenticeships have proven to be a successful workforce pipeline by pairing on-the-job, hands-on learning with classroom instruction; giving participants an opportunity to earn an income while they pursue an education directly targeted at preparing them for the workforce,” Commerce Workforce Division Director Katie Ralston said. “Apprenticeships also give employers an opportunity to recruit and train workers to meet the demands of their company.”      Commerce recently signed a memorandum of understanding with North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) to administer the grant. Throughout the three-year project, NDSCS will utilize the funds to create new, and expand existing apprenticeship programs and opportunities in North Dakota; specifically in healthcare, biomedical research, and manufacturing, as well as other in-demand occupations.       “NDSCS has a long-standing tradition of collaborating with industry to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students and we believe this project will allow us to leverage its experience and existing relationships with the business community to expand apprenticeship opportunities in North Dakota,” Ralston said.      For more information on how to get involved with this project, contact NDSCS ApprenticeshipND Manager Brian Fuder at brian.fuder@ndscs.edu.