Apprenticeship Coalition Distributes $1M in Grants
In pursuit of establishing 50,000 student apprenticeships by 2034, a coalition of major industry, state and education leaders will distribute more than $1 million in grants to kick-start four industry talent organizations.
The two-year grants, furnished and announced Tuesday by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, will be used to lay the groundwork for the new talent organizations, which the group refers to as associations and will convene employers to determine industry workforce needs.
The plan is largely modeled after Switzerland’s apprenticeship program, which is considered an international gold standard. Fiddian-Green previously told IBJ that Indiana is seeking to adopt what makes sense for the state from the Swiss system.
The coalition is strengthening its relationships in the country through a two-year $425,000 grant with Swiss public research university ETH Zurich. The partnership will provide the coalition with consulting and technician assistance to get the program running.
