September 13, 2015
Contributed Art/Office of Chaka Fattah
Congressman Chaka Fattah (center), alongside former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Henry Nicholas, President of District 1199 C, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan during a 2011 tour of District1199 C's training and apprenticeship program for health information professionals.
Philadelphia has won almost $3 million in federal funds for an apprenticeship initiative that will help 500 local youth get access to job training programs in the field of health and computer technology, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.
The $2.9 million grant comes as part of the American Apprenticeship Initiative, a federal program that has awarded a total of $175 million across the country to help 34,000 people enter apprenticeship programs.
"The average starting wage of a worker who has finished an apprenticeship program is now more than $50,000 a year," said President Barack Obama when he spoke about the initiative at Macomb Community College in Michigan on Wednesday.
The money will fund 390 pre-apprenticeship programs and 210 apprenticeship programs in the fields of information technology and behavioral healthcare, targeting youth ages 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor have a job.
"Apprenticeship offers a smooth pathway to the middle class and to a college degree for those who wish to continue their education and training. I like to call it the other college – without the debt," said Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Spearheading the initiative is job skills organization Philadelphia Works, and key partners will include the city's school district, the housing authority and Philadelphia YouthBuild.
"I could not be more pleased that Philadelphia Works, along with its many partners throughout the region, has been recognized by the Department of Labor for their commitment to helping our community's opportunity youth find success in the workforce," said Congressman Chaka Fattah said in a statement.
Some of the employers who will participate in the apprenticeship programs include:
•TAIG/NHS Human Services, which is Pennsylvania's largest non-profit human services provider
•JARVUS, a software company headquartered in Northern Liberty
•Springboard Media, an IT customer service organization that specializes in Apple technology
To learn more about hiring or becoming an apprentice, go to www.dol.gov/apprenticeship.
