Speaking at Boise State University on Wednesday, a day after his State of the Union address, President Obama repeated his call for employers to expand registered apprenticeships and tuition-benefit programs for workers.
Following the speech, the White House released a list of 30 companies that have committed to expanding on-the-job training, including CVS and UPS, and said that it would make more than $50-billion a year in existing federal funds available to help more employers start and sustain apprenticeship programs.
The president also announced that, in his budget for the 2016 fiscal year, he would seek $2-billion to double the number of apprenticeships available to workers. In addition, he will propose an "American Technical Training Fund" that would fund projects at up to 100 community colleges. Under that program, smaller grants would help to bring together partners and start pilot programs. Larger grants would be used for expanding programs based on evidence of effectiveness, which could include past performance on graduation rates, job-placement rates, and placement wages.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/obama-calls-on-firms-to-expand-apprenticeships-and-workers-tuition-benefits/92615