CT to Receive $10 Million Federal Grant for Registered Apprenticeship Program

The Department of Labor (CTDOL) has announced it expects to receive a $10 million federal grant to support Connecticut’s registered apprenticeship program, according to a press release issued yesterday by the agency.

The agency also specified that the funding will be used to support an additional 1,250 healthcare apprentices at Connecticut’s hospitals who will train as emergency department technicians, clinical technicians, and patient care associates.

Connecticut’s $10 million grant was comparable to funding received by much larger states like California, Texas, and Michigan.

The CTDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship administers the state’s only Registered Apprenticeship program, which combines classroom learning with on-the-job training. Currently, there are more than 6,700 apprentices registered with nearly 1,700 companies across 50 occupations.

Connecticut offers incentives to businesses for taking on apprentices, to include grants of up to $3,500 under the American Apprenticeship Initiative. Manufacturers and construction trades can take tax credits of up to $7,500 and $4,000 respectively for each apprentice.

However, many industries are still restricted by the state in the number of apprentices a given business may hire. The Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractor’s Association, for example, estimates that the state’s restrictive ratio-based apprenticeship hiring rules prevent them from filling hundreds of open job vacancies.

Rep. Nuccio co-sponsored an effort early in the 2021 session to address hiring concerns among apprentices and employers in Connecticut’s trades. Nuccio and her Republican colleagues in the House also made reforming the hiring ratio a priority when the chamber considered clean energy infrastructure legislation earlier in June.