Arizona earmarks more than US$650,000 for construction company learning programs
ARIZONA – A total of five construction and trades apprenticeship programs in Arizona were selected for grants to enable companies to advance workforce training.
According to the Arizona government, more than US$650,000 in grants will go to these five programs as part of the first phase of the BuildltAZ Apprenticeship Initiative.
The initiative aims to double the number of registered construction trades apprentices by 2026 to support Arizona’s growing economy and to connect Arizonans with good-paying, quality jobs.
“From electricians to heavy equipment operators and more, Arizona needs trades and craftsmen to support our thriving economy. At the same time, we are opening pathways to opportunity for workers in every corner of our state by removing barriers to effective training programs. With this initial investment and future investments, we look forward to meeting the demands of new industries and giving every Arizonan the opportunity for a good-paying job,” said Governor Katie Hobbs.
Carlos Contreras, CEO of the Office of Economic Opportunity explained that these grants and partnerships with high-quality registered apprenticeship programs will provide financial assistance for first-year tuition, books and more for approximately 250 new apprentices in the coming year who will be earning while learning in a high-growth, well-paying job in the construction trades.
The first round recipients of the BuildItAZ Apprenticeship Initiative were Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council; Phoenix Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program; Rummel Construction; The Laborers Training and Retraining Trust of Arizona; and Tucson Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program.
“Our goal is to grow and diversify our workforce in a way that sustainably meets the unprecedented needs of the work coming throughout Arizona,” said Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council President Aaron Butler.
The grant program has been made possible by a portion of funding from the federal Arizona Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act through the Office of Economic Opportunity. This first round of investment is expected to create additional training capacity for at least 1,500 apprentices over the next 2 years. OEO expects to conduct another round of funding later this year.
