Funding will go towards Penn College’s MIDAS program, which prepares Pennsylvanians for jobs across high-demand manufacturing industries
Investment is part of $244 million Department of Labor investment in Registered Apprenticeships across the Nation
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) secured $4 million in funding for Pennsylvania College of Technology to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs that will prepare workers for jobs in high-demand advanced manufacturing industries. The funding will support the College’s Modular, Industry-Driven Apprenticeship Strategies (MIDAS) program, which enables Registered Apprenticeship programs to train job seekers with the skills they need for high-tech jobs. The award is from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Grant Program and is part of a new Biden Administration’s $244 million investment in Registered Apprenticeships Nationwide.
“Registered Apprenticeships allow Pennsylvanians to earn a living while learning the skills that will allow them to excel in advanced, high-paying jobs,” said Senator Casey. “This funding will create more opportunities for people across Pennsylvania to learn a variety of high-tech skills and join the workforce in the industries that power our Nation.”
The funding from the ABA Grant Program is part of the Biden Administration’s initiative to help modernize, diversify, and expand the Registered Apprenticeship system in growing U.S. industries.
Senator Casey has long supported Registered Apprenticeships. In 2010, he secured $916,000 for PCT to provide green job training for local workers in energy efficiency and weatherization. Two years later, he celebrated $14.9 million for a Marcellus Shale workforce development program at the Pennsylvania College of Technology and Westmoreland County Community College. Senator Casey has also supported investment in unions for apprenticeships and workforce development, including $92,000 for the IBEW Local 163’s Advanced Technology Center in Luzerne County and $322,000 for the Steamfitters Local Union No 449 in Butler County to provide direct training services to improve the local workforce.
Senator Casey has a long record of securing federal investment in the future of Pennsylvania’s workforce. He fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which included tax credits for individuals and companies manufacturing or deploying clean energy technologies to help lower costs and secure our energy independence. The IRA passed with a Casey-led provision to provide a “domestic content” bonus credit for companies that use American steel, iron, and manufactured goods. Casey also championed the CHIPS and Sciences Act to invest in American technology, innovation and manufacturing, particularly in the semiconductor industry. Producing chips in the United States will also benefit the workers in industries that rely on semiconductors from autoworkers to health care workers.
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