Dive Brief:

• New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) recently announced a $2 million grant opportunity for organizations in the state that create "degree apprenticeship" programs.
• Such program allow apprentices to earn credit toward an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree while participating in a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program or following the completion of one, according to NJDOL. The grant is designed to provide financial assistance to those who are participating in a registered apprenticeship and who are enrolled in a degree program simultaneously.​
• The state is permitting a broad category of organizations to apply for funding, including employers, trade associations, institutions of higher learning and economic development organizations. The deadline for applications is April 3.

Dive Insight:

With the announcement, New Jersey follows other stakeholders who are looking to the apprenticeship model to support workers' career goals. Apprenticeships have become a talking point not only among state and local governments in the U.S., but also nonprofits, trade associations and a variety of other organizations.

Previously, states have encouraged employers that start apprenticeship programs to work with higher education institutions. That includes Iowa, where employers can collaborate with local community colleges to do so. States like Georgia offer grant programs similar to New Jersey's, while others have opted to encourage growth of the model via tax credits for employers or tuition reimbursement for apprentices, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Aside from exploring state and local incentives, employers looking to start an apprenticeship can utilize the resources made available by the Labor Department, which has created a toolkit and has personnel who can advise employers on the process, sources previously told HR Dive, Education Dive's sister publication.

Employers should also note proposed changes to the Labor Department's apprenticeship registration process, which the department detailed in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last summer. Notably, the rules would allow the department to recognize certain groups that could set standards for the training, curricula and structure of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs.

While apprenticeships have gained steam, some regulatory processes have reportedly made it difficult for employers to consider investing time into them. A report last year from the Center for an Urban Future, for example, found that some New York City tech companies dislike the city's two-year probation period for apprenticeship programs, as it prevents them from making adjustments to account for new technologies.