Explore organizations with existing DOL-funded grants and contracts. Below you can learn more about these awardees and their projects, including the geographic area or industry the grant or contract is currently servicing. View the press release to learn about each award specifically or select an awardee's abstract (if available) to learn more about how the organization is contributing to apprenticeship expansion and innovation and how you can get involved.
2026
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $85 million to support the fourth round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) grants. Awards were made in June 2026 and began on July 1.
Administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration, the fourth round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grants represent a state-driven strategy to expand Registered Apprenticeship to train thousands of Americans for jobs in critical industries such as manufacturing, artificial intelligence and AI infrastructure, construction, healthcare, information technology and cybersecurity, and shipbuilding, maritime, and defense.
These awards provide direct funding to states and territories based on a performance-based formula that rewards states for recent growth in active and new apprentices and encourages strategies that increase employer participation. State recipients demonstrated a commitment to leveraging resources including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Governor’s Reserve Funds, Perkins V Reserve Funds, and other federal or state tax credits or grants, equal to or greater than 50% of their formula allocation. Additionally, states with federally recognized State Apprenticeship agencies committed to promote transparency and accountability for the registration process. State awardees also agreed to use grant funds to support activities to grow the system using innovative, proven practices.
Below is the list of grantees, state served, and amount awarded.
SAEF4 Awards by State
Grantee Name State Served
Amount Awarded
Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development AK
$820,323.67
Arkansas Department of Commerce, Office of Skills Development AR
$1,774,668.75
Arizona Department of Economic Security AZ
$1,759,473.85
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment CO
$1,844,025.65
District of Columbia Department of Employment Services DC
$792,957.03
Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training DE
$723,754.18
Florida Department of Education FL
$3,237,868.95
Technical College System of Georgia GA
$1,852,176.64
Guam Department of Administration GU
$609,335.05
Iowa Workforce Development IA
$1,860,345.33
Idaho Department of Labor ID
$1,082,043.67
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity IL
$3,401,281.76
Indiana Department of Workforce Development IN
$3,901,532.57
Kansas Department of Commerce KS
$999,893.89
Kentucky Department of Workforce Development KY
$1,500,556.56
Louisiana Works LA
$1,068,595.14
Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development MA
$1,526,373.31
Maryland Department of Labor MD
$2,888,280.26
Maine Department of Labor ME
$744,966.73
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity MI
$3,274,430.17
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry MN
$2,047,780.59
Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development MO
$3,895,423.37
Mississippi Department of Employment Security MS
$1,251,149.92
Montana Department of Labor & Industry MT
$803,387.37
North Carolina Community College System Office NC
$2,223,654.50
North Dakota Department of Commerce ND
$761,780.00
Nebraska Department of labor NE
$1,379,346.91
Community College System of New Hampshire NH
$956,368.74
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development NJ
$1,953,617.81
New Mexico Workforce Solutions Department NM
$916,429.05
Nevada Office of the Labor Commissioner NV
$1,536,681.76
New York State Department of Labor NY
$2,755,495.51
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services OH
$4,118,834.88
Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education OK
$824,803.85
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission OR
$1,694,446.57
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry PA
$2,504,369.99
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training RI
$808,276.90
South Carolina State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education SC
$1,647,760.26
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation SD
$748,447.53
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development TN
$2,117,513.28
Texas Workforce Commission TX
$6,333,256.34
Utah Department of Workforce Services UT
$1,179,206.14
Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement VA
$2,238,425.40
Vermont Department of Labor VT
$723,532.05
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, WI
$2,292,173.32
WorkForce West Virginia WV
$1,043,643.37
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services WY
$581,311.43
TOTAL
$85,000,000.00
On Tuesday, July 7 the Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $162 million through five cooperative agreements to expand Registered Apprenticeship in the occupations critical for the administration’s reindustrialization agenda. This Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program will lead nationwide efforts to train thousands of Americans for jobs in the shipbuilding, defense industrial base, and emerging technology sectors, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Semiconductor, and Nuclear Energy Infrastructure and Information Technology.
Registered Apprenticeship is an earn while you learn model of training, culminating in increased pay, a postsecondary credential, and skills that will drive both personal and American economic prosperity. The PfP Incentive Payments Program prioritizes incentivizing the expansion and growth of high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs on a national scale by offering incentive payments to program sponsors as apprentices reach verified retention and progression milestones. This performance-based model directly links federal funding to measurable outcomes, putting taxpayer dollars to work where they matter most, creating real jobs, real skills, and real opportunities in the industries that will define America's future economic competitiveness.
The five PFP Incentive Payments Program grantees are listed below.
Applicant Legal Name Target Industry Award Amount Florida Department of Commerce Shipbuilding and Defense Industrial Base $40,000,000 Jobs for the Future, Inc. AI, Semiconductor, and Nuclear Energy Infrastructure $40,000,000 Wireless Infrastructure Association Telecommunication $29,999,142 Trustees of Clark University Information Technology $27,000,000 ASE Education Foundation Transportation $25,000,000 Total $161,999,142 - For more information, please refer to the Press Release.
2025
On January 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor launched the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, a $35.8 million initiative aimed at expanding high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing across the country. This DOL cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services, is designed to stimulate nation-wide Registered apprenticeship adoption by providing incentive funding for manufacturers of all sizes to build and expand apprenticeship pipelines. Eligible incentive fund applicants include Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors and group sponsors or consortia. Through the program, eligible Registered Apprenticeship sponsors will receive $3,500 for each new apprentice hired. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until 100% of available incentive funds have been obligated. This National incentive fund aligns with the President's Executive Orders expanding and growing Registered Apprenticeship, including the goal to meet and exceed one million apprentices. For more information about the Incentive Fund and how to apply, please refer to the following resources:
- Press Release
- American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund Project Abstract
- Application Portal
- Frequently Asked Questions
- List of approved occupations
Questions about the Incentive Fund may be directed to: OSD.MFGfund@arkansas.gov