Expansion of registered apprenticeship in Minnesota receives $1.5 million boost

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) a $1.5 million grant to fund its Apprenticeship Expansion (APEX) initiative, an effort to support the expansion of registered apprenticeship in construction to minorities and women through greater construction-employer engagement, statewide promotion and construction-career readiness.

"A well-prepared and highly skilled workforce is essential to Minnesota's economic future," said Ken Peterson, DLI commissioner.

The APEX initiative will engage construction employers, building trades unions, educators and workforce intermediaries to expand apprenticeship recruiting and retention strategies.

The APEX initiative will also support apprenticeship readiness programs with registered apprenticeship partners, including the Minnesota Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers JAC, Construction Careers Foundation, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters Training Center, and the Minnesota Cement Masons, Plasterers and Shophands JATC.

Currently, there are more than 200 apprenticeship programs registered in Minnesota -- 85 percent of them are in the construction trades. There are currently more than 11,000 Minnesotan apprentices. Of those, 7 percent are women and 20 percent are minority.