California awards more than $13 million for youth apprenticeships in high-demand fields
Fontana — As part of National Apprenticeship Week, the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) announced $13.2 million in California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) grant awards.
Today’s announcement took place at Chaffey College located in San Bernardino County at their InTech Center. This no-cost pre-apprenticeship program prepares students for industrial and manufacturing careers and is part of the state’s efforts to expand apprenticeship opportunities for young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment and education.
What DAS Chief Adele Burnes said: “In California, we are working to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for young people facing barriers to entering the workforce. COYA connects individuals to meaningful pathways that lead to family-sustaining careers.”
The COYA program serves out-of-school and unemployed youth ages 16 to 24. Through both pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, youth learn the necessary practical skills to gain upward mobility and find long-term employment in high-demand sectors such as information technology, health care and manufacturing.
Today’s announcement includes funding for 25 apprenticeship programs that have shown outstanding success in delivering real results for opportunity youth. Each selected program previously received COYA grant funding. This latest round is projected to serve 1,424 participants.
Some of the programs that will receive funding include:
- Chaffey Community College District InTech Center ($966,000): A pre-apprenticeship program that will train youth in industrial maintenance, mechanics and electro-mechanics.
- Hospitality Training Academy ($600,000): A pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program based in Los Angeles that trains youth in the hospitality and travel industry in collaboration with union partner UNITE HERE Local 11. The COYA grant will focus on food preparation training.
- Kollab Youth ($677,714): A pre-apprenticeship program based in the Inland Empire that connects youth with opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and business. Pre-apprenticeship programs will focus on information technology occupations, as well as healthcare occupations
Expanding apprenticeships statewide:
Governor Gavin Newsom has made it a priority to expand apprenticeships and training programs across California. The state has added more than 600,000 earn-and-learn opportunities, including 245,342 registered apprenticeships.
How we got here:
COYA increases opportunities and participation in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to help opportunity youth gain access to ongoing employment. COYA has provided funding to both new program development and to scale existing programs to serve more opportunity youth.
More information can be found at the following links:
The COYA Awards are being announced during National Apprenticeship Week, a nationwide celebration from April 26 to May 2 that recognizes the achievements of apprenticeship programs across the United States. National Apprenticeship Week is held in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.
About the Division of Apprenticeship Standards
DAS collaborates with employers and partners to build a skilled workforce by establishing and promoting innovative apprenticeship programs. These programs provide training and create accessible, long-term career pathways for Californians.
DAS is a division of the Department of Industrial Relations.
Media Contact: Communications@dir.ca.gov, (510) 286-1161