Oregon has been awarded a 3 million dollar grant to boost manufacturing apprenticeships.
The grant is part of $175 million from the U.S. Department of Labor. Securing the money was a collaborative effort between the Employment and Labor Departments, forming the Oregon-Apprenticeships in Manufacturing, or AIM, Program. Andrea Fogue is a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Labor. She says during the next three to four months, while the program is being set up, the state will work with community colleges and employers to get the money on the ground.
Fogue: "This grant is going to help us get to those get to those 'difficult to fill' job vacancies. And we have several of these sectors across the state, and manufacturing really is coming back, and so that's one that we are going to be targeting specifically."
Fogue says the funds should create opportunities for women, minorities, and veterans to break into advanced manufacturing jobs. Money will also be allocated to the Temporary Aid to Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participants.