Riverside County Workforce Development Division Awarded $1,824,000 through the State of California’s Apprenticeship Expansion, Equity, and Innovation Grant for the Inland

 Riverside County is one of six entities in the state to receive funds to design and build new apprenticeship training programs in thriving industries. Through a grant proposal entitled Inland Empire Designing Equitable Apprenticeships (IEDEA), Riverside County Workforce Development and its Inland Empire regional partners will expand apprenticeships, provide opportunities for underserved populations, and work to align the region’s growing workforce with the changing demands of employers and the economy.

Throughout the three-year grant term, over 380 candidates will be trained and placed into apprenticeship career pathways in five targeted industries: IT and Cybersecurity; Healthcare; Manufacturing; Transportation and Logistics; and the Public Sector. Each industry represents an economic core for the region and a unique opportunity to expand non-traditional apprenticeships, build the local sectors and modernize the workforce.

Patrick Ellis, Chair of the Riverside County Workforce Development Board, stated, “Apprenticeship programs are breaking new ground in multiple industries in California and there is no better place to make this happen than in the Inland Empire. We are pleased to have been selected to expand apprenticeships that will provide training and high-paying job opportunities for our region.”

This grant was made possible by the California Department of Industrial Relations and its Division of Apprenticeship Standards, who received $7.3 million dollars from the Department of Labor to expand apprenticeships in California to underserved communities. For more information on apprenticeship and job training opportunities, contact Riverside County Workforce Development at (833) 391-0507 or via e-mail at workforcehelp@rivco.org.