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
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
The U.S. Department of Labor has 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 cooperative agreement with DOL is spearheaded by the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services, and is designed to stimulate nation-wide Registered apprenticeship adoption by providing incentive funding for manufacturers of all sizes to build and expand apprenticeship pipelines. 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