Incentive Fund Guide

The U.S. Department of Labor has opened applications for its Pay-for-Performance incentive payments, nearly $200 million in performance-based funding for Registered Apprenticeship sponsors who hire and keep new apprentices. The money flows through six funds, each run by a different administrator and focused on different industries:

• shipbuilding and the defense industrial base (FloridaCommerce)
• AI infrastructure, semiconductors and nuclear energy (Jobs for the Future)
• telecommunications (Wireless Infrastructure Association)
• information technology (Clark University)
• automotive technicians (ASE Education Foundation)
• advanced manufacturing (the State of Arkansas)

Payments range from $2,000 to $6,000 per apprentice and are tied to milestones such as 90 days of retention, completing related instruction, or completing the program. AFA's Incentive Fund Guide sets out each fund side by side and describes...

• who can apply and which apprentices count
• how much each fund pays, and when
• how sponsors may use the money, including any share they must pass to employers
• the “substantial growth threshold” sponsors must exceed before payments begin
• caps, application steps and contacts