HARRISBURG, Pa. — Job training in the Lehigh Valley just got a boost with the help of an influx of nearly $300,000 from the state.
On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that his office will deliver $296,396 in new funding to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 357 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund in Allentown.
- Pennsylvania is providing nearly $300,000 in new funding to the IBEW Local 375 in Allentown for job training
- The funds are expected to provide 30 new apprenticeships over the next three years
- The training program will provide training in solar power, telecommunications wiring and fiber optics
The funds, provided through the state’s Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program, are expected to provide training for 30 apprentices in the Lehigh Valley.
“I’m proud to announce these apprenticeship grant awards, which are crucial for Pennsylvania’s future,” Wolf said in a statement. “Investing in apprenticeship programs like this one ensures there is a strong pipeline of new talent for the construction industry for many years to come.”
According to the governor’s office, the funding will increase by nearly 15% per year for the next three years the number of apprentices that will be able to take part in the union’s program.
“Investing in apprenticeship programs like this one ensures there is a strong pipeline of new talent for the construction industry for many years to come.”Gov. Tom Wolf in a statement on the new funding
“With the ever-changing workforce and the retirement of the baby boomer generation, now is the perfect time to use these funds for outreach, registering, and training the next generation of apprentices,” Robert Franklin of IBEW Local 357 said in a statement.
The program curriculum will focus on a number of job-related skills, including telecommunications wiring and fiber optics to improve broadband access to rural and underserved areas, solar power, power quality and power grid updates.
Once apprentices have completed the program, the governor’s office said, graduates will be able to focus on job-placement at the more than 300 employers throughout the Lehigh Valley who have signed on with the program as partners.
