A local nonprofit is on a mission to boost economic growth and help youth ages 16 to 24 gain job experience through apprenticeships.
On Monday, Boston-based Jobs for the Future (JFF) announced it was awarded $5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to fuel its center for apprenticeship and work-based learning program.
Throughout the next four years, JFF plans to use its fresh funding to partner with organizations in New York, Philadelphia, Georgia and other states to help more than 1,000 young adults gain apprenticeships.
JFF aims to provide youth and young adults with access to apprenticeships that can help build transferable skills they can then carry into their adult careers.
“In an uncertain economic climate, registered apprenticeship programs can meet pressing needs from employers while also giving young people the start they need to enter the workforce,” JFF CEO Maria Flynn said in a statement. “It’s truly a win-win situation — registered apprenticeship programs deliver on their promise of economic advancement for workers while also creating a job-ready talent pool that has cultivated the skills for success. With greater ability to scale access and reach previously untapped pockets of talent, the outlook for apprenticeships is brighter than ever.”
JFF will be partnering with organizations like Bitwise Industries, a tech talent pipeline for underserved communities, Educate Maine, an education advocacy organization, and Goodwill of North Georgia, a nonprofit that offers job training to people making career pivots.
