NJIT, Penn College Awarded $8M to Develop Manufacturing Apprenticeship Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $7,996,530 grant to New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Pennsylvania College of Technology to develop industry-driven strategies for apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing fields. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's awarding of $183.8 million in grants to 23 academic institutions and consortia nationwide. The ultimate aim is to satisfy industry's enormous demand for trained American workers.

"We are extraordinarily pleased to be partnering with Pennsylvania College of Technology to provide on-ramps to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York citizens to high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing," said New Jersey Innovation Institute vice president and chief operating officer Timothy Franklin, who also serves as NJIT's associate vice president for business and economic development and special adviser to the president. "The apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs we will be able to offer through this grant will help employers in biopharma, lightweight metals, plastics and other advanced manufacturing industries meet the rapidly increasing demands associated with new technologies and processes."

The advanced manufacturing sector will benefit from apprenticeship training for mechatronics technicians, computer numerical control operators, plastics process technicians, light metals machinists and welders, and biological technicians, as well as shorter-term programming to fill gap needs in areas such as project management and front-line supervisor.

"Penn College has been addressing the skills gap for a long time," said President Davie Jane Gilmour. "In the past few years, we've added apprenticeship training as an integral part of this effort. We are pleased to partner with New Jersey Institute of Technology to expand the reach of apprenticeship. Collectively, we anticipate providing training to more than 3,000 apprentices over the next four years. This collaboration will extend Penn College's mission of creating 'tomorrow makers' and meeting significant industry demand for skilled workers."